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James Glaisher

A Brief History of the Royal Meteorological Society

The Royal Meteorological Society was founded as the British Meteorological Society on 3 April 1850.

It became the Meteorological Society in 1866, when incorporated by Royal Charter, and the Royal Meteorological Society in 1883, when Her Majesty Queen Victoria granted the privilege of adding ‘Royal’ to the title.

Amalgamation with the Scottish Meteorological Society took place in 1921.
Right: James Glaisher.

James Glaisher (right) was a founder member of the Meteorological Society in 1850. He was also a pioneering balloonist. Between 1862 and 1866 Glaisher made numerous ascents in order to measure the temperature and humidity of the atmosphere at its highest levels. One one ascent in 1862, he broke the world record for altitude, but passed out before a reading could be taken. Estimates suggest that he rose to approximately 7 miles above sea-level.