See also: 1784 in science, other events of 1785, 1786 in science and the list of years in science.
Aviation January 7 - Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard and American John Jeffries travel from Dover, England to Calais, France in a gas balloon, becoming the first to cross the English Channel by air Exploration André Michaux is sent by the French government to North America to look for new plants Awards Copley Medal: William Roy Births March 22 - Adam Sedgwick, geologist (died 1873) April 26 - John James Audubon, naturalist, illustrator (died 1851) Deaths
