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.