One of the biggest Croatian scientists and by some opinions the biggest Croat throughout history, Ruder Boskovic, was born in Dubrovnik. Ruder had eight brothers and sisters, and remained close to some of them throughout their lives, especially with his brother Bar and sister Anica.
After completing his studies he was ordained a priest and joined, then very powerful, Jesuit order. At the Roman College, he taught math and science, and researched the theory of forces in physics. His original idea was that all material bodies (stones, table, etc.) consist of the points that don’t have prevalence but act on each other with forces that depend on their distance apart. Revolutionary in that theory was the thought that what we see as solid matter is actually made up of empty space filled only with points. His ideas were proved correct with the discovery of the atom, and still provide inspiration for finding a unified theory of forces in nature.
Boskovic served in the French court, and was a friend of the mighty Franklin, with whom he talked about electricity, which, at the time, was the focus of the most advanced science. The British named Boskovic a member of the famous Royal Society.
Boskovic was friend with several cardinals, the Pope, and also minister Count de Vergennes, the person who was largely responsible for the Americans defeat over the British in the War of Independence. It is interesting that Boskovic at the time of his stay in London met the famous scientist Benjamin, the Polish king, who helped him once to prevent a Russian attack on Dubrovnik. When the Russians intended to intervene in Dubrovnik with their warship fleet, Boskovic wrote a letter to the Polish king and asked him for help. The Polish king sent a plea to the Russian Empress and the danger to Dubrovnik was stopped. Boskovic was staying at the palace of the famous Empress and Queen Maria Theresa, whom he described as a very pious woman, which prayed tirelessly, together with other women from the palace, for her army in the time of the battle in which he participated. Ruder Boskovic died in Milan at the age of 77.