Daniel Bernoulli was born on February 8, 1700 in Groningen, Netherlands, where his father, Johann was chair of the mathematics department. Johann wanted his son to study business, claiming that there was little money in the pursuit of mathematics, but Daniel resisted. Tensions between Daniel and his father festered for decades as Johann attempted to discourage his son from pursuing mathematics. Eventually, Daniel’s passion for mathematics prevailed and he published great works in a wide variety of fields, mostly classified as “applied mathematics’”
His important work in hydrodynamics, ocean currents, Newton’s theory of the tides, astronomy and variety of other topics won him the Grand Prize of the Paris Academy 10 times. Much celebrated during his lifetime, Daniel Bernoulli earned a place in history as a member of one of the most productive families in the world of mathematics. He died on March 27, 1782 at the age of 82.
Reflecting on his work in physics and applied mathematics, he asserted, “There is no philosophy which is not founded upon knowledge of the phenomena, but to get any profit from this knowledge it is absolutely necessary to be a mathematician.”
