Pierre Laplace 1749-1827

1749. Born in Beaumont-en-Auge, Normandy, son of a farmer, on March 23rd.

1756-65. Studied at Benedictine College at Beaumont.

1766. Studied theology at Caen University.

1768. Became professor of Mathematics at the École Militaire in Paris due to d'Alembert's influence.

1773. Obtains associate membership of French Academy of Sciences.

1784. Appointed examines of cadets of the Royal Artillery.

1785. Promoted to full membership of the Academy. Acted as examiner at the École Militaire to the 16 year old Napoleon Boneparte.

1788. Married Marie. Charlotte de Romanges who bore him two children.

1791. Appointed to commission on weights and measures, along with Lagrange.

1799. Entered French Senate.

1803. Became vice president of Senate and Minister of interior for 6 weeks.

1816. Appointed president of committee to reform the École Polytechnique.

1817. Created Marquis by Louis XVIII

1827. Died at his country estate in Arcueil, near Paris, on 5th March.

Mathematics

• The Laplace transform.
• Major work in celestial mechanics.
• Important contributions to probability theory.

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Jeremy Dittmer
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