1836 in science

The year 1836 in science and technology included many events, some of which are listed here.

See also: 1835 in science, other events of 1836, 1837 in science and the list of years in science.

Astronomy

• May 15 - Francis Baily, during an eclipse of the sun, observes the phenomenon named after him as Baily's beads.

Biology

• October 2 - Naturalist Charles Darwin returns to Falmouth, England aboard the HMS Beagle after a 5-year journey collecting biological data he will later use to develop his theory of evolution.
• Theodor Schwann discovers pepsin in extracts from the stomach lining; first isolation of an animal enzyme.

Chemistry

• French chemist Auguste Laurent discovers o-phthalic acid (1,2-benzenecarboxylic acid) by oxidizing naphthalene tetrachloride.
• The chemical compound acetylene, also called ethyne, was discovered by Edmund Davy.

Awards

• Copley Medal: Jons Jacob Berzelius; Francis Kiernan
• Wollaston Medal: Louis Agassiz

Births

• May 28 - Alexander Mitscherlich, chemist (+ 1918)
• Joseph Lockyear, astronomer

Deaths

• June 10 - André-Marie Ampère, physicist (* 1775)