| Wednesday, August 17, 2005 |
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| Numbers, 1 to 10 |
SpotlightThe French lawyer/mathematician who was largely responsible for modern calculus, Pierre de Fermat, was born on this date in 1601. Fermat also came up with number theory and, along with Blaise Pascal, the theory of probability. He claimed to have a proof of what became known as Fermat's Last Theorem, but didn't reveal it. It was finally proved in the mid-1990s.
Quote"And perhaps, posterity will thank me for having shown it that the ancients did not know everything." – Pierre de Fermat
Today in History
- Philadelphia: took over from NYC as US capital (1790); 10 years later passed the title to Washington, DC
- Double Eagle II: became first hot-air balloon to complete transatlantic flight, from Maine to France (1978)
- harmonic convergence: new age gatherings in Stonehenge, Mount Shasta and other places prayed and meditated for peace (1987)
Today's Birthdays
- Mae West: Hollywood sex symbol (1892-1980)
- Robert De Niro: Oscar-winner, Godfather II (62)
- Sean Penn: Oscar-winner, Mystic River (45)
Word of the Daypseudoprime: a number that shares common elements with prime numbers but is not actually a prime; Fermat's Little Theorem includes the most important group of pseudoprimes.
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