Person

Francisco José de Caldas

1768–1816 · 18th century

Francisco José de Caldas was a scientist from Popayán in New Granada, present-day Colombia. He took part in José Celestino Mutis's Royal Botanical Expedition, directed the astronomical observatory of Bogotá and devised a method of measuring altitude by the boiling point of water. A supporter of independence, he served the patriot governments as an engineer and was executed by the Spanish in 1816.

Francisco José de Caldas
Image: José María Espinosa Prieto · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

United Provinces of New Granada

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Francisco José de Caldas. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francisco-jose-de-caldas
MLA
“Francisco José de Caldas.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francisco-jose-de-caldas. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Francisco José de Caldas.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francisco-jose-de-caldas.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Francisco José de Caldas’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francisco-jose-de-caldas (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻