Edmond Halley, of comet fame, also went diving in the Thames.
In 1691 he designed a diving bell topped up with barrels of fresh air, and stayed under the water for more than an hour and a half.
More amazing facts
- 1687 · 1703 In the year St Petersburg was founded (1703), Newton became President of the Royal Society.
- 1687 The founder of classical physics was a devoted alchemist.
- 1689 The authoritative text of the first Russia–China treaty, Nerchinsk (1689), was in Latin: Jesuit interpreters handled the talks.
- 1691 Indian Ocean pirates were supplied by a New York merchant.
- 1692 No one was burned at Salem.
- 1695 The first worldwide manhunt in history was for a pirate — and it failed.