Hooke

Hooke, Robert (1635-1703). natural philosopher, was born .at Freshwater in the Isle of Wight, and received his education at Westminster and Cambridge. He was appointed curator of experiments to the Royal Society in 1662, and professor of geometry in Gresham College in 1665, and acted as secretary to the Royal Society from 1677 to 1682. Hooke possessed extraordinary mechanical skill, and was remarkably quick in discerning general principles, even when aided by very slender evidence. He to some extent anticipated Newton's theory of gravitation and other discoveries in natural philosophy, and made improvements in the microscope, telescope, and quadrant. His chief work was his Micrographia (1665).