The Tudor Society
  • #OTD in Tudor history – 5 March

    A portrait of Thomas Seymour and an engraving of a 16th century man smoking a pipe

    On this day in Tudor history, 5th March, Henry VII issued letters patent to explorer John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto), a bill of attainder listing 33 counts of treason was passed against Edward VI’s uncle, Thomas Seymour, and a Spanish physician introduced tobacco into Europe…

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  • March 5 – Mathematician William Oughtred

    Engraving of William Oughtred along with a photo of a ring sundial, which he is thought to have invented

    On this day in Tudor history, 5th March 1575, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, mathematician William Oughtred was baptised at Eton College, where his father, Benjamin, was registrar and writing master.

    Oughtred is responsible for developing a straight slide-rule, a gauging rod and various sundials. He also introduced the “×” symbol for multiplication and the abbreviations “sin” and “cos” for the sine and cosine functions.

    Let me tell you a bit more about him…

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  • A mathematician, Call Me Risley, and a scapegoat

    In this second part of This week in Tudor history, historian Claire Ridgway introduces mathematician and inventor William Oughtred, tells you about the life of Thomas Wriothesley, the man known as “Call me Risley” in Hilary Mantel’s novels, and shares about Germaine Gardiner, a bishop’s nephew who was executed as a scapegoat.

    5th March 1575 – Baptism of mathematician William Oughtred at Eton College. Oughtred is responsible for developing a straight slide-rule, a gauging rod and various sundials. He also introduced the “×” symbol for multiplication and the abbreviations “sin” and “cos” for the sine and cosine functions…

    [Read More...]