Peter Mark Roget, English physician, lexicographer, and theologian (d. 1869)
Peter Mark Roget (UK: US: ; 18 January 1779 – 12 September 1869) was a British physician, natural theologian, lexicographer and founding secretary of The Portico Library. He is best known for publishing, in 1852, the Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases, a classified collection of related words. He also read a paper to the Royal Society about a peculiar optical illusion in 1824, which is often regarded as the origin of the persistence of vision theory that was later commonly used to explain apparent motion in film and animation.

1779Jan, 18
Peter Mark Roget
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Events on 1779
- 14Feb
Native Hawaiians
James Cook is killed by Native Hawaiians near Kealakekua on the Island of Hawaii. - 24Jun
Great Siege of Gibraltar
American Revolutionary War: The Great Siege of Gibraltar begins. - 16Jul
Battle of Stony Point
American Revolutionary War: Light infantry of the Continental Army seize a fortified British Army position in a midnight bayonet attack at the Battle of Stony Point. - 23Sep
Battle of Flamborough Head
American Revolution: John Paul Jones on board the USS Bonhomme Richard wins the Battle of Flamborough Head. - 27Sep
John Adams
The Continental Congress appoints John Adams to travel to France as minister plenipotentiary in charge of negotiating treaties of peace and commerce with Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War.