Isaac Newton (1643–1727) was a pioneer in mathematics, physics, and astronomy. He is credited with inventing the first workable telescope, outlining the theory of gravity, and being one of the creators of modern calculus.
Newton was born on a farm in rural England in 1642, the same year the English civil war began. The war and its aftermath shaped his childhood; he moved several times and was taught largely by his grandparents. He entered Cambridge University at age eighteen, later than most of his classmates, and there studied optics and math.
When the university closed abruptly in 1665 due to an outbreak of plague, Newton was forced to return to his family home. The two years he spent in the countryside, however, would be one of the most productive periods of his life. He formulated many of his breakthroughs in optics and calculus during the outbreak and returned to Cambridge brimming with new ideas.
In 1669, only a few years after graduating from college, Newton was appointed to Cambridge’s most prestigious mathematics professorship. He spent the next thirty years at the university and in 1687 published Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, a landmark text that outlined the theory of universal gravitation.
According to Newton’s theory, all objects with mass exert a gravitational pull on other objects. For huge masses like stars and planets, the gravitational pull is sufficient to hold smaller objects in orbit. Gravity, Newton theorized, explained why the moon revolves around Earth and why Earth revolves around the sun.
Despite his success, Newton tired of Cambridge and suffered a nervous breakdown in 1693. He eventually moved to London in 1701, where his fame brought him significant influence. He was elected president of the Royal Society in 1703 and knighted by Queen Anne (1665–1714) in 1705. He died in London at age eighty-four.
ADDITIONAL FACTS
- At Cambridge, Newton was granted the prestigious position of Lucasian Professor of Mathematics. As of 2009, well over 300 years later, only eighteen other men have held the professorship, including noted mathematicians Charles Babbage (1791–1871) and Stephen Hawking (1942–).
- Newton was elected to Parliament in 1689 representing Cambridge University and was named warden of the Royal Mint in 1696. As director of the mint, he successfully caught several counterfeiters—counterfeiting was a capital crime—and sent a number of forgers to the gallows.
- Newton was buried in London’s Westminster Abbey, an honor granted only to England’s most illustrious citizens.
