In 1744, Euler was the first to use the principles of momentum and of angular momentum to state the equations of motion of a system. In 1750, in his treatise "Discovery of a new principle of mechanics" he published the Euler's equations of rigid body dynamics, which today are derived from the balance of angular momentum, which Euler, however, could deduce for the rigid body from Newton's second law. After studies on plane elastic continua, which are indispensable to the balance of the torques, Euler raised the balance of angular momentum to an independent principle for calculation of the movement of bodies in 1775.