Founding of the Royal Society
- When
- 1660
- Where
- Gresham College, London
- Episodes
- 1
On 28 November 1660, twelve natural philosophers met at Gresham College in London to establish a college for experimental learning. This gathering, involving figures like Wren and Boyle, marked the official foundation of the Royal Society, which later received royal charters.
Episodes
Background and detail
Precursors and Context. The Royal Society emerged from informal groups of natural philosophers, including the Invisible College around Robert Boyle and the Philosophical Society of Oxford led by John Wilkins. After the English Restoration, these groups began holding regular meetings at Gresham College in London, setting the stage for formal incorporation.
The Founding Meeting. On 28 November 1660, a meeting of twelve natural philosophers at Gresham College decided to commence a "Colledge for the Promoting of Physico-Mathematicall Experimentall Learning." Key attendees included Christopher Wren, Robert Boyle, John Wilkins, William Brouncker, and Robert Moray. This date is considered the official foundation of the Royal Society.
People involved
- Christopher Wren · Founder and Gresham College Professor
- Robert Boyle · Founder and Natural Philosopher
- John Wilkins · Founder and Warden of Wadham College
- Robert Moray · Founder and Royal Liaison
Sources
- Royal Society Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-12
- Gresham College Wikipedia, revision of 2026-06-16
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.