2023World Figures From History and Culture - First Day Cover

Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)
Born in Clermont-Ferrand on 19 June 1623, Blaise Pascal from a very early age revealed extraordinary intellectual abilities. Before he was even 20, he had made highly significant mathematical and physical discoveries and invented a mechanical calculating machine. From the mid-1640s, he devoted himself largely to studying the properties of gases and liquids, atmospheric pressure, and vacuum. Com- bining the results of ingenious experiments with precise mathematical demonstrations, Pascal established the modern principles of hydrostatics. But his scientific creativity was truly prodigious, leading to discoveries in areas as disparate as probability theory, combinatorial analysis, the study of curves, or mathematical analysis, and establishing results that are still fundamental in these fields today.