Google has paid tribute to Mary Somerville via its own unique doodle. To celebrate the special day the search engine giant, posted an interesting doodle honouring the day when Somerville’s experimental physics papers were read by the Royal Society of London, the UK’s National Science Academy. She became the first female authors whose findings were published in the prestigious Philosophical Transactions, which is the world’s oldest science publication. Joseph Antoine Ferdinand Plateau Google Doodle on His 218th Birthday: Know About His Invention of the Phenakistoscope (Watch Video of How to Make One).

Somerville was born on December 26, 1780, to Vice-Admiral Sir William George Fairfax, scion of a distinguished family of Fairfaxes at the manse of Jedburgh. She was a Scottish science writer and polymath. Somerville studied mathematics and astronomy, and was nominated to be jointly the first female member of the Royal Astronomical Society.

At the age of 10, her father returned from overseas and decided to send her to a boarding school for a proper education. Somerville conducted experiments to explore the relationship between light and magnetism, and she published her first paper, "The magnetic properties of the violet rays of the solar spectrum". He papers revolutionalised the existing understanding of the solar system. Herbert David Kleber Google Doodle: Search Giant Celebrates American Psychiatrist's Contribution to 'Addiction Research Treatment'; Here's All About The Researcher.

In her famous book, The Connection of the Physical Sciences, Somerville explained she revealed the underlying links between the different disciplines of physical science. This book was published in 1834, and it became bestselling science books of the 19th century. She is also credited with discovering Neptune.

Somerville also advocated equal rights and was the first person to sign the 1866 women’s suffrage petition. Mary Somerville Medal and Prize named the Scottish scientist is given to scientists who engage the public through their work. Somerville died at Naples on November 29, 1872, and was buried there in the English Cemetery.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 02, 2020 09:35 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).