Speaking of the Royal Society, most people first think of renowned researchers like Isaac Newton, Robert Hooke, Adam Smith, William Petty, and Robert Boyle in various academic fields.
However, in reality, few have delved deeply into the background of the Royal Society's establishment.
The predecessor of the Royal Society was actually a club-type small group voluntarily formed by 12 scientists, who called themselves the 'Invisible College'. Initially, the club had no rigid regulations, and the purpose of regular meetings was merely to gather everyone to research experiments and exchange discussions on their respective discoveries.
Yet during the reign of Lord Protector Cromwell, this organization was forced to disband for a time, until after Charles II's restoration in 1660, when these scientists were able to continue their activities at Gresham College.
