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John Dee

16th-century English mathematician, astrologer, and alchemist · Academics · Lived 1527 to 1609 · aged 81

John Dee is read about 986 times a day, in 53 languages.

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Elizabeth I's court astronomer who coined the term "British Empire" - then walked away from royal favor to chase angels and alchemical secrets across Europe, returning to find his legendary library destroyed and his reputation in ruins.

Business ProfessionalsAcademicPhilosophyMathematicsAstronomyEarly Modern Era

A life in dates

1609Died26 March 16091570“There is (gentle reader) nothing (the works of God only set apart) which so much beautifies and adorns the soul and mind of man as does knowledge of the good arts and sciences.”In their wordsDee's Preface to 's English translation Euclid's Elements, source

1564“Neither the circle without the line, nor the line without the point, can be artificially produced.”In their wordsTheorem II

“Although the semicircle of the Moon is placed above the circle of the Sun and would appear to be superior, nevertheless we know that the Sun is ruler and King.”In their wordsTheorem IV

1527Born13 July 1527

Also in Deutsch

Photos 8

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In their own words 3

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John Dee
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3 statements, newest first

  1. There is (gentle reader) nothing (the works of God only set apart) which so much beautifies and adorns the soul and mind of man as does knowledge of the good arts and sciences.

    1570, Dee's Preface to 's English translation Euclid's Elements, source, Own words

  2. Neither the circle without the line, nor the line without the point, can be artificially produced.

    1564, Theorem II, Own words

  3. Although the semicircle of the Moon is placed above the circle of the Sun and would appear to be superior, nevertheless we know that the Sun is ruler and King.

    1564, Theorem IV, Own words

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About this person

John Dee was born on 13 July 1527 and built one of England's largest private libraries while serving as mathematician, astronomer, and advisor to Elizabeth I. He advocated for English colonial expansion in the New World and is credited with coining "British Empire." The turn came when he left the Queen's service to pursue the occult and supernatural, aligning with figures who may have been charlatans and traveling through Europe under accusations of spying for the Crown. He returned to England to discover his home and library vandalised. Elizabeth took him back, but her successor James I turned him away. Dee died in poverty in London between December 1608 and March 1609; no one knows where he's buried.

Category
Academics
Type
Academic
Status
deceased
Dates
Lived 1527 to 1609 · aged 81

Academics born in the 1520s 6

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