The Wernerian Natural History Society (12 January 1808 – 16 April 1858), commonly abbreviated as the Wernerian Society, was a learned society interested in the broad field of natural history, and saw papers presented on various topics such as mineralogy, plants, insects, and scholarly expeditions. The Society was an offshoot of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and from its beginnings it was a rather elite organization.
The Society was named after Abraham Gottlob Werner, a German geologist who was a creator of Neptunism, a theory of superposition based on a receding primordial ocean that had deposited all the rocks in the crust. At this time all rocks, including basalt, and crystalline substances were thought by some to be precipitated from solution.
1808Mar, 2
The inaugural meeting of the Wernerian Natural History Society, a former Scottish learned society, is held in Edinburgh.
Choose Another Date
Events on 1808
- 22Jan
Invasion of Portugal (1807)
The Portuguese royal family arrives in Brazil after fleeing the French army's invasion of Portugal two months earlier. - 6Apr
American Fur Company
John Jacob Astor incorporates the American Fur Company, that would eventually make him America's first millionaire. - 8Apr
Pope Pius VII
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Baltimore is promoted to an archdiocese, with the founding of the dioceses of New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Bardstown (now Louisville) by Pope Pius VII. - 3May
Sveaborg
Finnish War: Sweden loses the fortress of Sveaborg to Russia. - 6Jun
Joseph Bonaparte
Napoleon's brother, Joseph Bonaparte, is crowned King of Spain.