1589
1589 is the year the knitting machine was invented.
- Odd
- Composite
Where 1589 fits
Why 1589 is special
William Lee's stocking frame was refused a patent by Elizabeth I on the grounds it would put hand knitters out of work. It is one of the earliest recorded refusals of a labour-saving device on employment grounds.
1589 connects to:
- historical years — appears in
- 1764 — contrasts with
Same number, different meanings
How 1589 is understood across different contexts — never implying one meaning because of another.
- Mathematics
William Lee's stocking frame was refused a patent by Elizabeth I on the grounds it would put hand knitters out of work. It is one of the earliest recorded refusals of a labour-saving device on employment grounds.
- Technology & computing
In 1589, William Lee invented the stocking frame knitting machine, an early mechanisation of textile work (England).
- Finance & economics
Elizabeth I declined to patent the stocking frame in 1589 because of what it would do to hand knitters. The reasoning is documented and is among the earliest explicit instances of technology policy weighing employment.
1589 is part of
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (4)
- 1, 7, 227, 1589
- Prime factorisation
- 7 × 227
- Digit sum
- 23
- Digital root
- 5
Representations
- Decimal
- 1589
- Scientific notation
- 1.589 × 10^3
Roman numerals
M D L X X X I X
MDLXXXIX uses the subtractive pair IX: one before ten — ten minus one.
Binary
1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1
1 × 1,024 + 1 × 512 + 0 × 256 + 0 × 128 + 0 × 64 + 1 × 32 + 1 × 16 + 0 × 8 + 1 × 4 + 0 × 2 + 1 × 1 = 1,589
Octal
3 0 6 5
3 × 512 + 0 × 64 + 6 × 8 + 5 × 1 = 1,589
Hexadecimal
6 3 5
6 × 256 + 3 × 16 + 5 × 1 = 1,589
Read as powers of two: 1,024 + 512 + 32 + 16 + 4 + 1 = 1,589.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
1 lotus, 5 coils of rope, 8 hobbles, 9 strokes
1 × 1,000 + 5 × 100 + 8 × 10 + 9 × 1 = 1,589. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
2 corner wedges + 6 vertical wedges (sixties place), 2 corner wedges + 9 vertical wedges (units place)
26 × 60 + 29 = 1589. Places are separated by a space on the tablet, with the higher place written first.
Systems that simply cannot reach this value are left out. Where a script needs a font most readers do not have, the reading is given instead of the glyphs — see number systems for each system in full.
Other mathematical patterns
- Deficient number
- Semiprime
Related numbers & connections
1589 is a year in the 16th century, in the 1580s.
Elizabeth I refused a patent for the stocking frame in 1589 to protect hand knitters; the spinning jenny of 1764 met the same objection through machine-breaking rather than the patent office.
View 1764 →Numbers Around Us
- appears inHistorical years
why?
Strength 0.50, confidence "high".
Other connections
- contrasts with1764
why?
Strength 0.50, confidence "high".
Technology & computing
In 1589, William Lee invented the stocking frame knitting machine, an early mechanisation of textile work (England).
DocumentedTechnology & computingGeography: EnglandPeriod: 1589
Finance & economics
Elizabeth I declined to patent the stocking frame in 1589 because of what it would do to hand knitters. The reasoning is documented and is among the earliest explicit instances of technology policy weighing employment.
DocumentedFinance & economicsGeography: EnglandPeriod: 1589
Common questions
Is 1589 a prime number?
No, 1589 is not prime.
What are the factors of 1589?
The factors of 1589 are 1, 7, 227, 1589.
What is 1589 in Roman numerals?
1589 in Roman numerals is MDLXXXIX. IX is subtractive: one before ten — ten minus one. Written additively it would be MDLXXXVIIII, which Roman inscriptions used freely — the strict subtractive form is a later convention.
About this page's data
Mathematical facts:computed directly from the number's value — nothing to source or verify externally.
Contextual records: 2 reviewer-confirmed records, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026