Newton, Isaac (1642-12-25 - 1727-03-20)

Isaac Newton was born on 25 December 1642 at Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, the son of a yeoman named Isaac and Hannah Ayscough. He attended school at Grantham, Lincolnshire, subsequently matriculating at Trinity College, Cambridge on 5 June 1661. It was at Cambridge that Newton began to read the works of Descartes and Pierre Gassendi. He was awarded his bachelor's degree in April 1665. During the plague years, Newton began to consolidate his findings; in addition, he examined the elements of circular motion, applying his analysis to the Moon and the planets. It was also during this time that the idea of universal gravitation occurred to him. In 1667, Newton was elected to a fellowship at Trinity, and proceeded M.A. in 1668. He was elected to the Royal Society in 1672, and shortly after spoke about his discoveries on light and colours. He accepted the presidency of the Royal Society in 1703 only after the death of his nemesis, Robert Hooke; he continued to be re-elected annually for twenty-five years. On 15 April 1705, Newton was knighted. Sir Isaac Newton died at Kensington on 20 March 1727, and was buried in Westminster Abbey. He is best known for his discoveries in optics, mechanics, and mathematics, including the three laws of motion and infinitesimal calculus.