Jean Hyacinthe de Magellan facts for kids
Jean Hyacinthe de Magellan (born João Jacinto de Magalhães) (1722–1790) was a Portuguese scientist. He was very interested in how the world worked and made many scientific instruments.
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Early Life and Studies
Jean Hyacinthe de Magellan was born in Aveiro, Portugal, on November 4, 1722. He grew up in Lisbon, the capital city. For a while, he was a monk, which is a type of religious person. He was studying in Lisbon when a huge earthquake destroyed the city in 1755.
When he was about 40 years old, Magellan decided to leave his life as a monk. Around 1764, he moved to England. He soon started talking with important scientists from the Royal Society, a famous group for science.
Travels and Discoveries
For some time, Magellan worked as a tutor, traveling around Europe with students. This allowed him to meet many important thinkers and scientists of his time, especially in the Netherlands. Because of his work and connections, he was chosen to be a member of the Royal Society in 1774. He was also connected to science academies in Paris, Madrid, and St. Petersburg.
In 1778, Magellan visited the famous writer Jean-Jacques Rousseau just a few days before Rousseau passed away. Magellan later wrote about this visit. Soon after, Magellan settled in London. He spent time helping to build special tools for studying stars and weather for the Spanish royal family. He also spent his later years creating instruments like thermometers (which measure temperature) and barometers (which measure air pressure). He even made a special clock for a blind duke that used bells to tell the time.
Magellan had a friend named Maurice Benyovszky, a count from Hungary. Around 1784, the count borrowed a lot of money from Magellan. Sadly, the count was later killed, and Magellan never got his money back. Magellan himself passed away on February 7, 1790, after being sick for over a year. He was buried in Islington, England. Even though some people thought he might have left his faith, his letters show that he always remained a Catholic.
Magellan's Scientific Contributions
Magellan wrote many books and articles about scientific instruments and theories. Some of his important works included:
- Books about different tools for astronomy (studying stars).
- Descriptions of English octants and sextants (tools used for navigation).
- A book explaining how to make mineral waters using a special glass machine.
- Descriptions of new barometers used to measure the height of mountains and the depth of mines.
- An essay about the new ideas of fire and heat.
- A book about minerals.
He also wrote articles for a science magazine called the Journal de Physique.
Magellan helped publish the memoirs (life stories) of his friend Count Benyovszky. He gave them to another scientist, William Nicholson, who published them in English. Magellan's own French version of the memoirs came out after he died.
In 1784, Magellan became a member of the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia, USA. He was so dedicated to science that in 1786, he gave money to this society to create a special award called the Magellanic Premium. This prize is still given today for important discoveries in navigation, astronomy, or natural philosophy.
Images for kids
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Astronomical clock made by Jean Hyacinthe de Magellan, now in Helsinki
