1794 - Science

Science

Elements of Geometry (Eléments de géométrie) by French mathematician Adrien-Marie Legendre, 41, substantially rearranges and simplifies many of the propositions in Euclid's Elements (see Wallis, 1657; Barrow, 1670); a more effective teaching tool, it will replace Euclid as a textbook in most of Europe and serve as the prototype of U.S. geometry texts.

The founder of modern chemistry (and nutritional science) Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier goes to the guillotine May 8 at age 50 in retribution for his direction of l'ancien regime's tax organization, the Fermier Général: "La république n'a pas besoin de savants," says the vice president of the tribunal, one Coffinhall, but mathematician Joseph-Louis Lagrange says, "It required but a moment to sever that head, and perhaps a century will not be sufficient to produce another like it."