1696 in science

The year 1696 in science and technology involved some significant events.

History of science

 * Daniel Le Clerc publishes Histoire de la médecine in Geneva, the first comprehensive work on the subject.

Mathematics

 * Guillaume de l'Hôpital publishes Analyse des Infiniment Petits pour l'Intelligence des Lignes Courbes, the first textbook on differential calculus, including a statement of his rule for the computation of certain limits.
 * Jakob Bernoulli and Johann Bernoulli solve the brachistochrone curve problem, the first result in the calculus of variations.

Births

 * unknown date – Christine Kirch, German astronomer (d. 1782)

Deaths

 * April 30 – Robert Plot, English naturalist and chemist (born 1640)
 * Jean Richer, French astronomer (born 1630)