Royal Society of London Founded
Following the restoration of the English monarchy after the Civil Wars, a group of natural philosophers sought a new forum for empirical inquiry free from political or religious interference. On November 28, 1660, after an astronomy lecture by Christopher Wren at Gresham College in London, twelve men including Robert Boyle, John Wilkins, and Robert Moray resolved to create a “Colledge for the Promoting of Physico-Mathematicall Experimentall Learning.” They began regular meetings to perform experiments, share observations, and publish findings. King Charles II granted the group its first royal charter in 1662, formalizing the institution that became the Royal Society.
Why it matters: The Royal Society established the model for modern scientific academies worldwide, emphasizing experiment, peer review, and open communication. Its Philosophical Transactions remains the oldest continuously published scientific journal, shaping the institutional framework of the Scientific Revolution and ongoing global research collaboration.