Maupertuis Elected to Academy
Pierre Louis Moreau de Maupertuis became an Academy member and later advocated Newtonian geodesy.
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
Pierre Louis Maupertuis Biography and Timeline
Follow Pierre Louis Maupertuis through 8 dated historical records for France.
Pierre Louis Maupertuis, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
8Distinct records
1 of 1Page
1723–1740Years on this page
1723
1728
Academy Investigates Shape of Earth
French astronomers debated whether measurements supported a globe flattened or elongated at the poles.
1735
Peru Meridian Expedition Prepared
The Academy supported an expedition to South America to measure an equatorial meridian arc.
Maupertuis Proposes Polar Meridian Expedition
Maupertuis presented the case for measuring a meridian in northern latitudes to test the Earth's shape.
1736
Lapland Meridian Expedition Departs
Maupertuis departed for Lapland on 2 May to lead an Academy supported geodetic expedition.
Equatorial Survey Proceeds in South America
French geodesists including Bouguer and La Condamine conducted the demanding South American meridian survey.
1737
Maupertuis Reports Flattened Earth Findings
Maupertuis presented results of the Lapland expedition to the Academy on 13 November.
1740
Academy Debates Meridian Measurement Results
French scientific debate continued over the interpretation of polar and equatorial measurements.
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.