Historical eventJune 141822

Royal Astronomical Society

In a paper presented to the Royal Astronomical Society, English mathematician Charles Babbage proposed a difference engine (pictured), an automatic, mechanical calculator designed to tabulate polynomial functions.

Everything on June 14Original source

In context

When
Friday, June 14 1822204 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
19th century · 1820s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.

At a glance

Dates: From 1820.

Place: United Kingdom.

Type: organization and learned society.

Timeline

Follows: Spitalfields Mathematical Society.

What happened

History Founding The idea for a dedicated astronomical society had been discussed for several years before the society's formal founding; William Pearson is recorded as having proposed one as early as 1812, and Francis Baily published a recommendation in 1819. [ 1 ] By the early nineteenth century, many astronomers felt that the Royal Society , under the long presidency of the octogenarian Sir Joseph Banks , was no longer adequately serving their interests;

The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is a learned society and charity that encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. Its headquarters are in Burlington House, on Piccadilly in London. The society has over 4,000 members, known as fellows, most of whom are professional researchers or postgraduate students. Around a quarter of Fellows live outside the UK.

June 14 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1822Royal Astronomical Society
  2. 1986Mindbender (Galaxyland)
  3. 1992Disappearance of Helena Andersson
  4. 19941994 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot
  5. 1996Foreclosure
  6. 2002Near-Earth object
  7. 2014War in Donbas
  8. 20142014 Ukrainian Air Force Ilyushin Il-76 shootdown
  9. 2017Steve Scalise
  10. 2017Grenfell Tower fire
  11. 20262026 Rio de Janeiro mid-air collision

Also in 1822

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  • September 7Pedro I of BrazilPedro I declared the independence of Brazil from Portugal, establishing the Empire of Brazil (flag pictured).
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  • November 9USS Alligator (1820)USS Alligator engaged three pirate schooners off the coast of Cuba in one of the West Indies anti-piracy operations of the United States.
  • December 1Pedro I of BrazilPedro I was crowned the first emperor of Brazil, seven weeks after his reign began on his 24th birthday.
  • June 6Alexis St. MartinAlexis St. Martin, a Canadian voyageur, was accidentally shot in the stomach; medical investigations of his injury led to a greater under…
  • September 27Lettre à M. DacierIn a letter to the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres in Paris, Jean-François Champollion announced his initial successes in dec…
  • May 26Grue Church fireThe deadliest fire in Norwegian history occurred at a church in Grue, killing at least 113 people.

Everything we record for 1822 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Royal Astronomical Society”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/royal-astronomical-society-1822-june-14, accessed October 28, 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 Royal Astronomical Society happen?

June 14 1822 — 204 years ago, on a Friday.

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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