Michael Hoskin

Michael Anthony Hoskin (27 February 1930 – 5 December 2021) was a British pure mathematician, historian of science, and astronomer who served as the head of the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge from 1975 to 1986 and the president of Churchill College, Cambridge, from 1981 to 1991. He was the founder of the Journal for the History of Astronomy and was its longtime editor-in-chief. He was also a leading authority on the Herschel family.

Early life and education Hoskin was born in London on 27 February 1930. He was educated in the classics, then graduated from the University of London in 1952 with Bachelor of Science (BSc) and Master of Science (MSc) degrees in pure mathematics. He then earned his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in algebraic geometry in 1956 from the University of Cambridge, where he was a postgraduate student at Peterhouse, Cambridge. At Cambridge, Hoskins's fellow students included mathematicians Michael Atiyah and Roger Penrose.

Career After receiving his doctorate, Hoskin was elected a research fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge, in 1956. He died on 5 December 2021 at his home in Cambridge.

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