Historical eventNovember 141680

Gottfried Kirch

German astronomer Gottfried Kirch discovered the Great Comet of 1680, the first comet to be discovered by telescope.

Everything on November 14Original source

In context

When
Thursday, November 14 1680346 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
17th century · 1680s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

The Gregorian calendar was in use in Catholic Europe from 1582, but Britain and its colonies kept the Julian calendar until 14 September 1752 — sources from those places may date this event 10–11 days earlier.

At a glance

Dates: From 1680.

What happened

German astronomer Gottfried Kirch discovered the Great Comet of 1680, the first comet to be discovered by telescope.

November 14 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1680Gottfried Kirch
  2. 2001War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
  3. 2003Sedna (dwarf planet)
  4. 2003Michael E. Brown
  5. 20082008 G20 Washington summit
  6. 2008Space Shuttle Endeavour
  7. 2010Red Bull Racing
  8. 2012Israel
  9. 20162016 Kaikōura earthquake
  10. 2017Rancho Tehama shootings
  11. 2019Saugus High School shooting

Also in 1680

  • January 2Trunajaya rebellionTrunajaya rebellion: Amangkurat II of Mataram of Java and his courtiers stabbed Trunajaya to death a week after the rebel leader surrende…

Everything we record for 1680 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Gottfried Kirch”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/gottfried-kirch-1680-november-14, accessed October 27, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Gottfried Kirch happen?

November 14 1680 — 346 years ago, on a Thursday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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