Deaths on March 17

Friedrich Bessel

Died on March 17, 1846

Friedrich Bessel, German astronomer, mathematician, and physicist (b. 1784)

Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel (German: [ˈbɛsl̩]; 22 July 1784 – 17 March 1846) was a German astronomer, mathematician, physicist, and geodesist. He was the first astronomer who determined reliable values for the distance from the sun to another star by the method of parallax. A special type of mathematical functions were named Bessel functions after Bessel's death, though they had originally been discovered by Daniel Bernoulli and then generalised by Bessel.

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Friedrich Bessel

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Events on 1846

11 May

Mexican-American War
President James K. Polk asked for a Declaration of War against Mexico, starting the Mexican-American War. It is approved on May 13.
7 Jul

Conquest of California
American troops occupy Monterey and Yerba Buena, thus beginning the conquest of California.
10 Sep

Sewing machine
Elias Howe is granted a patent for the sewing machine.
24 Sep

Zachary Taylor
Mexican-American War: General Zachary Taylor captures Monterrey.
16 Oct

Ether Dome
William T. G. Morton first demonstrated ether anesthesia at the Massachusetts General Hospital in the Ether Dome.

Deaths on March 17

Friedrich Bessel

Died on March 17, 1846

References

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Events on 1846

Mexican-American War

Conquest of California

Sewing machine

Zachary Taylor

Ether Dome