Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz died on 14 November 1716 in Hanover, aged 70. A German philosopher and mathematician, Leibniz worked as a diplomat, librarian and adviser at the court of Hanover. He developed the differential and integral calculus independently of Isaac Newton, and the notation he created is still used today, which led to a long dispute over priority. He also designed a mechanical calculator and promoted the binary number system, and he made contributions to logic, physics, law and geology. In philosophy he argued for monads as the basic elements of reality and held that this is the best of all possible worlds, an idea later mocked by Voltaire in Candide.
Before and after
- 1 September 1715Death of Louis XIV of France
- 12 October 1715Birth of Peter II of Russia
- 13 November 1715Battle of Sheriffmuir
- from 8 July 1716 to 21 August 1716Siege of Corfu
- 14 November 1716Death of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
- 13 May 1717Birth of Maria Theresa of Austria
- from 18 June 1717 to 21 August 1717Siege of Belgrade
- 16 November 1717Birth of Jean Le Rond d'Alembert
- 21 July 1718Treaty of Passarowitz
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This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 18th century.