Rupert, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria, Duke of Cumberland, Earl of Holderness (German: Ruprecht Pfalzgraf bei Rhein, Herzog von Bayern), commonly called Prince Rupert of the Rhine, KG, PC, FRS (17 December 1619 - 29 November 1682), was a noted soldier, admiral, scientist, sportsman, colonial governor and amateur artist during the 17th century. He spent most of his young adult years being a top military commander on the side of (his uncle) King Charles on England, fighting the English civil war against Cromwell. Both cavalry and later navy. Various victories, defeats, captures, escapes. By the age of three he could speak some English, Czech and French, and mastered German while still young. Educated at Oxford becoming "master of the arts" 1636. Some claim Rupert was the inventor, or a major player in inventing, "mezzotint" printing/engraving process about 1662 (others say no); and he definitely became a noted artist using that technique. He also was allegedly one of the top 5 tennis players in England. During the 1670s on, he lived in Windsor castle and become involved in science, and was made a member of (not surprisingly) the "royal society." He also was the first governor of the Hudson's Bay Company; the area round Hudson Bay Canada still is called "Prince Rupert's land." Some credit him with inventing "Prince Rupert's drops," an early discovery of tempered glass. Others say no. Demonstrated new device for lifting water at the Royal Society, and received attention for his process for "painting colours on marble, which, when polished, became permanent." He also invented Prince Rupert's problem about cubes passing thru cubes, and was noted for his talents as a cryptographer. He invented various military inventions such as kinds of guns, torpedo, new process for making gunpowder, new alloys. A port town in British Columbia is named after him. -- Warren D. Smith http://RangeVoting.org <-- add your endorsement (by clicking "endorse" as 1st step)