William Herschel
With the first use of his 1.2-metre (3.9 ft) telescope, then the largest in the world, William Herschel discovered a new moon of Saturn, later named Enceladus (pictured).
In context
- When
- Friday, August 28 1789237 years ago
- Category
- Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
- Era
- 18th century · 1780s
- 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 1789.
What happened
With the first use of his 1.2-metre (3.9 ft) telescope, then the largest in the world, William Herschel discovered a new moon of Saturn, later named Enceladus (pictured).
August 28 through the years
Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.
- 1789William Herschel
- 1996Chicago Seven
- 1998Pakistan
- 1998Second Congo War
- 1999Soyuz TM-29
- 2003Federal Bureau of Investigation
- 2009Space Shuttle Discovery
- 2016ISRO
- 20172017 China–India border standoff
- 2021Thomson–East Coast Line
- 20222022 Phoenix shooting
Also in 1789
- September 11Alexander HamiltonAlexander Hamilton (pictured), co-writer of The Federalist Papers, became the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.
- May 4Boydell Shakespeare GalleryThe Boydell Shakespeare Gallery, part of a cultural project initiated by engraver John Boydell, opened in London.
- July 11French RevolutionFrench Revolution: Jacques Necker was dismissed as Director-General of Finances of France, sparking public demonstrations in Paris that l…
- October 5French RevolutionFrench Revolution: Upset about the high price and scarcity of bread, thousands of Parisian women and allies marched (pictured) on the Pal…
- September 22United States Postmaster GeneralThe office of United States Postmaster General was formally established.
- December 11University of North Carolina at Chapel HillThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (structure pictured), one of the oldest public universities in the United States and the…
- October 24Brabant RevolutionThe Brabant Revolution, sometimes considered to be the first expression of Belgian nationalism, began with the invasion of the Austrian N…
- January 23John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore)Bishop John Carroll purchased a plot of land that would become the home of the future Georgetown University, the oldest Catholic universi…
Sources
- Wikipedia article (text, CC BY-SA 4.0)
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 for adapted text · how we source this
Cite this page
“William Herschel”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/william-herschel-1789-august-28, accessed October 26, 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 William Herschel happen?
August 28 1789 — 237 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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