Jean Sylvain Bailly

Jean Sylvain Bailly , born the September 15th 1736 with Paris and dead guillotine the November 12th 1793 with Paris, is a Mathématicien, Astronome, literary man and Politician French.

Biography

Wire of a painter of the king and guard of the tables of the Crown which intended it for painting, Bailly preferred the letters and sciences. He worked initially for the theater, but being bound with Lacaille, it was interested very early in the Astronomie and made build an observatory on the roof of the Louvre in Paris. Its astronomical observations are worth to him its election with the Academy of Science in 1763. Little before the revolution, it helped Alexandre Lenoir for the safeguard of the French inheritance.

French revolution

He was elected 1st appointed of Paris, the May 12th 1789, on the quota of the Tiers state, with the General states. The June 3rd according to, it was elected president of the third-state and, the June 17th, president of the National Assembly.

The June 20th, at the time of the Oath of Jeu de Paume, it was the first to lend oath and, three days later, at the time of the meeting where Louis XVI required the dispersion of the Parliament, refused obtempérer and autoproclama President of the National Assembly.

The July 15th 1789, it was elected Maire of Paris by the Comité of the voters and, for this reason, gave the tricolor rosette to the king at the time of the visit that this one made with the Town hall the July 17th. In its function of mayor, it is attacked like too preserving by Camille Desmoulins and Jean-Paul Marat.

After the escape missed from the June 20th and 21st 1791, he wanted to contain the republican agitation which aimed at obtaining the forfeiture of the king and, at the request of the Parliament, proclaimed the martial law and ordered with the National guard to shoot at crowd from the rioters the July 17th 1791. Its popularity, up to that point about intact, fell out of arrow. The November 12th, it resigned of all its political offices, and was withdrawn with Nantes.

It was put in a state of arrest in July 1793, whereas it was with Melun, and placed in detention. Invited to testify at the time of the lawsuit of Marie-Antoinette, he refused to testify with load and made a deposition in his favor, which condemned it implicitly.

Its lawsuit was dispatched the November 11th 1793, and the sentence carried out the following day, the Guillotine having been symbolically transferred onto the esplanade of Field-of-March at the place even where the troops had shot at the people, the July 17th 1791. As its members frozen by the rain and the cold were agitated of an involuntary tremor, one of its torturers says to him: “ You tremble, Bailly? - Yes, the old man with calm answered, but it is of cold. ”

Academies

Its History of Astronomy , literary work as much as scientist, opens to him the doors of the French Academy, of which he is elected member in 1783 thanks to perseverance of his friend Buffon and in spite of the opposition of of Alembert. After its execution, it was replaced only during the creation of the second class of the Institut of France, in 1803, by Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès. Arago pronounced its praise with the Academy of Science in 1844.

Works

Test on the theory of the Jupiter satellites (1776)
On the inequalities of the light of the Jupiter satellites (1771)
Letters on the origin of sciences (1777)
Letters on Atlantis of Plato (1779)
History of modern astronomy (1778-1783)
History of Indian and Eastern astronomy (1787). The study of ancient Indian astronomical tables, corresponding obviously to European latitudes, makes him introduce the concept of Indo-European civilization, that which it discussed with Voltaire in a correspondence.
Test on the fables (1798)
Memories of a witness of the Revolution (1804)
Collection of interesting parts on sciences (1810)
Memories. Volume 1: the Revolution of the Third: December 29th, 1786 - July 14th, 1789. Volume 2: First mayor of Paris: July 15th - October 2nd, 1789 , Clermont-Ferrand: Paléo, coll Sources of the French history: the French revolution, 2004. .

External bonds

Biographical note of the French Academy

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