The history of the telescope can be traced to before the invention of the earliest known telescope, which appeared in 1608 in the Netherlands, when a patent was submitted by Hans Lippershey, an eyeglass maker. Although Lippershey did not receive his patent, news of the invention soon spread across Europe. The design of these early refracting telescopes consisted of a convex objective lens and a concave eyepiece. Galileo improved on this design the following year and applied it to astronomy. In 1611, Johannes Kepler described how a far more useful telescope could be made with a convex objective lens and a convex eyepiece lens.
Hans Lippershey applies for patent for first known early telescope in the Netherlands
The history of the telescope can be traced to before the invention of the earliest known telescope, which appeared in 1608 in the Netherlands, when a patent was submitted by Hans Lippershey, an...
Historical Significance
The history of the telescope can be traced to before the invention of the earliest known telescope, which appeared in 1608 in the Netherlands, when a patent was submitted by Hans Lippershey, an eyeglass maker.
Events Before
Claudio Monteverdi's opera "L'Orfeo" premieres in Mantua, the oldest opera still regularly performed
The Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643) wrote several works for the stage between 1604 and 1643, including ten in the then-emerging opera genre.
The Bank of Genoa fails after announcement of national bankruptcy in Spain
The Bank of Genoa fails after announcement of national bankruptcy in Spain
San Agustin Church in Manila is officially completed; the oldest church in the Philippines
The Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation and Cincture, also known as the Church of Saint Augustine and Immaculate Conception Parish, is a Roman Catholic church under the auspices of the...
Massive flooding in England destroys around 200 square miles of coastline and results in approximately 2,000 casualties
Massive flooding in England destroys around 200 square miles of coastline and results in approximately 2,000 casualties
The British colonial expedition that would found Jamestown departs Puerto Rico for the American mainland
The British colonial expedition that would found Jamestown departs Puerto Rico for the American mainland
Events After
William Shakespeare's Sonnets are first published in London, perhaps illicitly, by publisher Thomas Thorpe
William Shakespeare's Sonnets are first published in London, perhaps illicitly, by publisher Thomas Thorpe
Samuel de Champlain shoots and kills two Iroquois chiefs at Ticonderoga, New York, setting the stage for French-Iroquois
Samuel de Champlain shoots and kills two Iroquois chiefs at Ticonderoga, New York, setting the stage for French-Iroquois conflicts for the next 150 years
Galileo Galilei presents his telescope to the Venetian Senate in Venice
Galileo Galilei presents his telescope to the Venetian Senate in Venice
Galileo Galilei demonstrates his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers, including the Doge (ruler) of Venice, Leonardo D
Galileo Galilei demonstrates his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers, including the Doge (ruler) of Venice, Leonardo Donato
English explorer Henry Hudson is the first European to sail into Delaware Bay, naming it South Bay
Henry Hudson (1565 – disappeared 23 June 1611) was an English sea explorer and navigator during the early 17th century, best known for his explorations of present-day Canada and parts of the...
More from the 1600s
Scotland begins its numbered year on January 1 instead of March 25
A leap year (also known as an intercalary year or bissextile year) is a calendar year that contains an additional day (or, in the case of a lunisolar calendar, a month) compared to a common year.
First edition of "El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha" (Part One of Don Quixote) by Miguel de Cervantes is pub
First edition of "El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha" (Part One of Don Quixote) by Miguel de Cervantes is published in Madrid
English traveller Robert Shirley marries Iranian noblewoman Teresa Sampsonia at the Safavid royal court
Teresa Sampsonia was a Circassian-English noblewoman of Safavid Iran. She was the wife of the Elizabethan English adventurer Robert Shirley, whom she accompanied on his travels and embassies across...
A fleet of five British East India Company vessels departs on its first voyage from London, led by James Lancaster comma
A fleet of five British East India Company vessels departs on its first voyage from London, led by James Lancaster commanding the "Red Dragon"; the journey lasts nearly 16 months
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened on October 2, 1608?
- The history of the telescope can be traced to before the invention of the earliest known telescope, which appeared in 1608 in the Netherlands, when a patent was submitted by Hans Lippershey, an eyeglass maker. Although Lippershey did not receive his patent, news of the invention soon spread across Europe. The design of these early refracting telescopes consisted of a convex objective lens and a concave eyepiece.
- Why is Hans Lippershey applies for patent for first known early telescope in the Net... significant?
- The history of the telescope can be traced to before the invention of the earliest known telescope, which appeared in 1608 in the Netherlands, when a patent was submitted by Hans Lippershey, an eyeglass maker.