William Gilbert

Library of Congress

[b. Colchester, Essex, England, May 24, 1544, d. London, November 30, 1603]

Gilbert's book De magnete (in English called On the Magnet, Magnetick Bodies Also, and on the Great Magnet the Earth), published in 1600, is among the seminal works of the Scientific Revolution. Gilbert describes his experiments with lodestones and compasses, gives methods of making iron display magnetic effects, introduces the concept of magnetic poles, and recognizes the magnetic field of Earth.

History of Science and Technology, edited by Bryan Bunch and Alexander Hellemans. Copyright © 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.