ISAAC NEWTON
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
Isaac Newton was born prematurely on December 25, 1642 (January 4, 1643, New Style) in
Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. He never knew his father, also named Isaac Newton, who died
three months before his birth. His mother remarried and left him in the care of his grandmother for
several years. Newton showed little interest in farming, which his mother had hoped he would pursue,
but he displayed aptitude for mechanical inventions and mathematics from an early age.
Newton attended the Grantham Grammar School and, in 1661, began his studies at Trinity College,
Cambridge. There, he was exposed to the works of scientists such as Kepler, Galileo, and Descartes,
igniting his passion for mathematics and physics.
THE ANNUS MIRABILIS: THE YEAR OF WONDERS (1665-1666)
In 1665, the Great Plague forced Cambridge University to close, and Newton returned home to
Woolsthorpe. During this period of isolation, now called his "Annus Mirabilis" (year of miracles), he
made groundbreaking discoveries in calculus (which he called “fluxions”), optics, and gravitation.
Legend has it that Newton conceived his theory of gravitation when observing an apple fall from a tree.
From this, he developed the idea of a universal gravitational force acting between all masses.
ACADEMIC CAREER AND CONTRIBUTIONS
In 1669, Newton was appointed Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge. He rapidly gained
recognition for his work and began publishing scientific papers, including one explaining the nature of
light and color, where he demonstrated that white light is composed of a spectrum of colors.
Newton’s most celebrated work, Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (1687), laid out the
laws of motion and universal gravitation, which became the foundation of classical mechanics and
transformed humanity's understanding of the physical world.
LATER LIFE AND PUBLIC ROLES
Newton held several prestigious posts, including Warden and Master of the Royal Mint, where he
reformed the English currency and fought counterfeiting. He was elected President of the Royal Society
in 1703, serving until his death.
He was knighted by Queen Anne in 1705, becoming Sir Isaac Newton.
DEATH AND LEGACY
Newton died on March 20, 1727 (March 31, 1727, New Style) in London at the age of 84. He was
buried with full honors in Westminster Abbey.
His work not only revolutionized physics and mathematics but also profoundly influenced the scientific
method and Enlightenment thinking. Newton remains one of the most influential scientific figures in
history.