John Michell

Events

1

Episodes

3

Years

1783–1784

Every event in Historedia whose sources name John Michell, with the role they cite and all of that event’s episodes. This is not a biography, and mentions are grouped by name, so two people with the same name can share this page.

Events and episodes

1. John Michell's Paper on Black Holes

   1783–1784

   Role: author of the paper proposing celestial bodies similar to black holes

   1. 127 November 1783 · Royal Society of LondonPaper read before the Royal Society

      Michell's paper proposing celestial bodies similar to black holes was read to the Royal Society on 27 November 1783.

   2. 21784 · Royal Society of LondonPublication in Philosophical Transactions

      The paper was published in 1784 in volume 74 of the Philosophical Transactions, calculating that a superdense giant star could trap its own light.

   3. 31784–1970s · posthumous reception and rediscoveryContemporary neglect and later rediscovery

      The dark-star idea made little impression on Michell's contemporaries and was forgotten until his writings re-surfaced in the 1970s.

Sources

1. John Michell Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-01