Isaac Newton

Born in England on January 4, Isaac Newton was an established physicist and mathematician who is credited as one of the great minds of the 17th century Scientific Revolution. With discoveries in optics, motion and mathematics, Newton developed the principles of modern physics. In 1687, he published his most acclaimed work, Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy), one of the most influential books on the subject of physics. Newton passed away in London on March 31, 1727.

When Newton arrived at Cambridge, the Scientific Revolution of the 17th c. was thriving. The heliocentric view of the universe—theorized by astronomers Nicolaus Copernicus and Johannes Kepler, and later refined by Galileo—was well known in most European academic circles. During his first years at Cambridge, Newton was taught the standard curriculum but was fascinated with the advanced world of science. As the plague hit Europe Newton focused on his intriguing studies. When the threat of plague subsided in 1667, Newton returned to Cambridge and was elected a minor fellow at Trinity College, in the following years Newton received his Master of Arts degree and was able to come across Nicholas Mercator's published book on methods for dealing with infinite series. Newton quickly wrote a treatise; De Analysi, expounding the theories into his own theories. Newton’s Principia formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation, which greatly impacted universal studies in the following centuries. Going through Kepler’s laws of planetary motion Newton was able to use basic principles to account for the understanding of comets, the tides, and other natural phenomena. Newton also constructed the first practical telescope and developed a theory of color based on the observation of a prism and the involvement of white light. His discoveries remain highly recognized in history and the world of science today.