Oldest scientific society in Britain. Founded in 1660, its early members included Robert Hooke, Christopher Wren, Isaac Newton, and Edmond Halley. It provided an impetus to scientific thought and developments in England, and its achievements became internationally famous. Philosophical Transactions, one of the earliest periodicals in the West (1665), publishes scientific papers; abstracts of papers appear in the Proceedings. The society awards several prestigious medals. At the beginning of the 21st century, the society had some 1,250 fellows and 120 foreign members