See also: 1745 in science, other events of 1746, 1747 in science and the list of years in science.
Chemistry John Roebuck invents the lead-chamber process for the manufacture of sulphuric acid German chemist Andreas Sigismund Marggraf (1709-1782) is credited with describing zinc as a separate metal Geology Jean Etienne Guettard presents the first mineralogical map of France to the French Academy of Sciences Mathematics Jean le Rond d'Alembert develops the theory of complex numbers Awards Copley Medal: Benjamin Robins Births March 7 - André Michaux, French botanist (died 1802) May 10 - Gaspard Monge, mathematician (died 1818) July 7 - Giuseppe Piazzi, astronomer (died 1826) Giovanni Battista Venturi, Italian physicist after whom the Venturi tube was named (died 1822) Deaths June 14 - Colin Maclaurin, Scottish mathematician (born 1698) November 14 - Georg Steller, German naturalist (born 1709)