Quick answerIsaac Newton (1643–1727) was an English scientist. Isaac Newton is best known for Laws of motion, Law of universal gravitation, Principia (1687), Optics and the nature of light and Calculus. Born in Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, Lincolnshire, England. His Principia founded modern physics and explained the motion of planets and falling objects.
Isaac Newton (1643–1727) was an English physicist and mathematician who set out the laws of motion and the law of universal gravitation, founding modern physics. His book, the Principia of 1687, is one of the most important works in the history of science, and he also explained how white light is made of colours.
Key facts
| Born | 1643 in Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, Lincolnshire, England |
|---|---|
| Died | 1727 |
| Nationality | English |
| Field | Science |
| Known for | Laws of motion, Law of universal gravitation, Principia (1687), Optics and the nature of light, Calculus |
Overview
Newton was born at Woolsthorpe, a hamlet in Lincolnshire, three months after his father's death, a small, weak baby not expected to live. His birth was recorded as Christmas Day, 25 December 1642, by the old Julian calendar, which is 4 January 1643 by the modern calendar. He studied at Cambridge, and during the plague years of 1665 to 1667, when the university closed, he worked at home on light, mathematics and gravity, the period he later called his most creative. In 1687 he published the Principia, setting out his three laws of motion and the law of universal gravitation.
With a prism he showed that white light is made up of the colours of the rainbow, and he built the first reflecting telescope. He also developed calculus, in a long dispute with the German philosopher Leibniz over who had done it first. In later life he served as Master of the Mint and president of the Royal Society, and he was knighted in 1705, dying in London in 1727. He never married, and he kept his intense interest in alchemy and theology largely private.
Frequently asked questions
When was Isaac Newton born?
Newton was born on 25 December 1642 by the old Julian calendar then used in England, which is 4 January 1643 by the modern Gregorian calendar. Most modern books give his birth year as 1643, and his birthplace was Woolsthorpe Manor in Lincolnshire.
What did Isaac Newton discover?
Newton set out the three laws of motion and the law of universal gravitation, explaining why the Moon stays in orbit and why objects fall to Earth. He also showed that white light is made of colours, built the first reflecting telescope, and developed calculus, the mathematics of change.
How did Isaac Newton die?
Newton died in London on 20 March 1727 by the old calendar, 31 March by the modern one, aged 84, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. He had been ill for some time, and his death was followed by a state funeral, an honour rarely given to a man of science.
Where was Isaac Newton born?
Newton was born at Woolsthorpe Manor, in the hamlet of Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth in Lincolnshire, England, on Christmas Day 1642 by the old calendar. The manor house still stands and is now preserved by the National Trust, with the apple tree in its garden linked to his story of gravity.
Did an apple really fall on Isaac Newton's head?
According to a story Newton told late in life, watching an apple fall in the garden at Woolsthorpe set him wondering whether the same force pulled the Moon. No apple hit him on the head: that detail was added later, but the story itself comes from Newton and his friends.
Quotes by Isaac Newton
- “I do not know what I may appear to the world, but …”
- “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders …”
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Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.