Thales Day
An ancient philosopher, he revolutionized early Greek thought with his inquiries into the nature of the universe.
Position your brand as a champion of rational thinking and scientific inquiry by hosting or sponsoring educational events celebrating the origins of Western philosophy and science.
- From Myth to Logic: How Thales Changed Human Thought Forever
- The Philosopher Who Predicted the Future—and Made a Fortune Doing It
- Thales' Theorem & Beyond: Celebrating 2,600 Years of Scientific Discovery
While it might seem impossible to pinpoint the exact day that rational thinking began, some scientists and philosophers believe that it can be traced back to May 28, 585 BC. This is that date most commonly associated with the first accurate prediction of a solar eclipse by legendary Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus. His work is considered to be the common origin of the logical study of nature – the beginning of using reason and sound judgment to better understand the world.
The celebration of Thales Day has taken place unofficially in pockets of the scientific world for many years. In 2015, the event was marked as the 2600th anniversary of science and Danish philosopher, Henrick Schoneberg, was a catalyst for the celebration of the day. Live events took place in Copenhagen and other celebrations also took place in honor of Thales Day in places around the world, including the Chicago Science Fest in the United States.
Since then, Thales Day has become an annual event that acts as a cultural landmark to show appreciation for science, philosophy and critical thinking about nature, with live events in Denmark as well as online and in person activities for those celebrating around the world.
Host an Event for Thales Day
One of the best ways to go about observing and raising awareness for Thales Day might be to host an event in the local community. Whether at a school, university, or science society, the organizers of Thales Day are inviting people all over the world to get involved by enabling constructive dialogue and pursuing human flourishing through mutual understanding. Find more information at the official website for the day. Learn More About Thales Get on board with Thales Day by delving into some interesting facts about science, philosophy and this fascinating Greek thinker himself, Thales of Miletus. Head over to the library or do a little research online to learn more, including some of these interesting facts that can be shared online to raise awareness for the event:Often regarded as the father of Western philosophy and science, Thales was the guy who led thinking from myth to logicThales’ knowledge of astronomy helped him to predict plentiful olive crops and make business choices that allowed him to become very wealthyA main belief of Thales was that water was the main element from which everything in the universe originatedAs an accomplished mathematician, especially in geometry, Thales is rather famous for his theorem about right triangles