On This Day: French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel, in a memoir read to the Academy of... (1822)

On December 9, 1822: French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel, in a memoir read to the Academy of Sciences, coins the terms linear polarization, circular polarization, and elliptical polarization, and reports a direct refraction experiment verifying his theory that optical rotation is a form of birefringence.

This historical event can serve as a powerful sermon illustration about God's creation and human discovery. Consider using it when preaching about discovery.