Description
Milutin Milanković (Dalj, May 28, 1879 – Belgrade, December 12, 1958) was a civil engineer, mathematician, astronomer, climatologist and popularizer of science. Full professor of celestial mechanics, dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, director of the Astronomical Observatory in Belgrade and vice president of SASA, he was remembered in the history of science, first of all, for his theory about changes in the Earth,s climate over a long period of time, known as Milanković cycles, as well as the reform of the Julian calendar.
Rejecting a very lucrative career as a construction engineer in Vienna, Milanković came to Belgrade on a modest salary as a university professor for patriotic reasons and out of love for science. He is our greatest scientist who built his career in Serbia.
The reform of the Julian calendar, proposed by Milutin Milanković in 1923, is based on the idea of abolishing the date difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars, as well as calculating leap years in the future in a specific way that ensures much greater precision of this calendar compared to the Gregorian one.
Based on very complex mathematical calculations, Milanković proposed the most accurate calendar up to that time, which has not been surpassed to this day. Milanković 's scientific work on the theory of climate change and the alignment of the calendar with astronomical events speak best of his commitment to science and precision in the study of astronomical and climatic changes over long time intervals.
Expert collaboration: ”Svetozar Marković” University Library, Belgrade
Artistic realization of the issue: Boban Savić MA, academic painter
