06月26日

Amamori Yoshishū, born in 1668, was a prominent Confucian scholar in Tokugawa Japan. He studied Zhu Xi’s teachings and applied them to moral guidance for both samurai and commoners. Employed by the Satsuma Domain, he advised on foreign policy and facilitated early relations with the Ryukyu Kingdom. His writings emphasized ethics, filial piety, and good governance, shaping intellectual life in Kyushu. He founded academies and mentored students, leading a revival of Confucian learning in regional domains. Yoshishū passed away in 1755, leaving a legacy that bridged philosophical study and practical statecraft.

Born in 1730, Charles Messier worked as a naval astronomer and observatory assistant in Paris. He compiled the Messier Catalogue to help comet hunters distinguish permanent deep-sky objects from transient comets. His list of 110 objects includes galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters still used by astronomers worldwide. Messier discovered 13 comets between 1760 and 1781, contributing to our understanding of cometary orbits. His systematic observations advanced the field of observational astronomy and inspired future amateur astronomers. He died in 1817, but the Messier Catalogue remains a foundational tool in modern astronomy.

Born in 1824 in Belfast, William Thomson became a professor at the University of Glasgow at age 22. He formulated the Kelvin scale of absolute temperature and co-developed the second law of thermodynamics. Thomson pioneered the first transatlantic telegraph cable, applying his electromagnetic theory to practical engineering. His work in heat and energy laid the foundation for modern physics and engineering disciplines. He received numerous honors, including a peerage as Baron Kelvin in 1892, for his scientific contributions. Thomson died in 1907, remembered as a towering figure in 19th-century science and technology.

Genpachi Misukuri, born in 1862, studied at Tokyo Imperial University and became a professor of history. He specialized in analyzing ancient Japanese texts, including the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. Misukuri published influential works on early Japanese myths, genealogies, and cultural origins. He advocated using historical research to shape national identity and educational curricula. His rigorous approach influenced a generation of historians and educators in Japan. Misukuri died in 1919, remembered for his contributions to the field of Japanese historiography.

1869年に生まれ、ケンブリッジ大学で地質学を学んだ後、大英地質調査所に入所。スコットランド高地の地質調査を指揮し、火山岩や堆積物の研究で知られる。1935年から同調査所の所長を務め、第二次世界大戦期の資源探査にも貢献した。1947年に逝去。

1898年に生まれ、薬学を学んだ後、大学や製薬企業で研究に従事。抗菌薬や解熱鎮痛薬の開発研究を手がけ、多くの論文を発表した。薬学教育にも力を注ぎ、多くの後進を育てた。1974年に逝去。

1898年生まれ。ミュンヘン工科大学で航空工学を学び、戦間期から戦闘機の設計に携わる。代表作であるBf 109は第二次世界大戦中に大量生産され、同時代を代表する戦闘機となった。戦後は民間機の開発や航空機企業の経営にも貢献し、1978年に逝去。

1903年に生まれ、英文学の研究者として大学で教鞭を執るとともに、小説家として多くの作品を発表。戦後日本文学において外国文学を紹介し、評論や翻訳にも功績を残した。英文学史の研究と教育に尽力し、多くの後進を育成した。1973年に逝去。

1913年にイギリスで生まれる。ケンブリッジ大学で数学を学んだ後、EDSACプロジェクトを主導し、世界初期の蓄積プログラム方式電子計算機の一つを完成させた。プログラミングの基礎概念を確立し、多くの研究者を育成した。後年は計算機科学の教育と普及に尽力し、国際的に高い評価を受けた。2010年に没するまで、コンピュータ技術の発展に大きく寄与した。