Isaac Newton

Isaac Newton

• In the year 1642, the world lost one of its great scientific mastermind - Galileo Galilei and history as if to make up for that loss, gave the world a brilliant scientist and one of the greatest mathematician of (East Central Portion of England) Woolsthorpe, popularly known as Sir Isaac Newton. Isaac Newton was born prematurely on the Christmas day 25th December 1642 to a wealthy farming family. He was described by his mother to be very frail that his head had to be supported by a kind of scarf about his neck and his body so small that he could have easily been fitted in a quart jug.

• His father who was also named Isaac Newton passed away just three months before his son’s birth. Later his widowed mother, Hannah Smith remarried to a guy named Reverend Barnabas Smith. After his mother’s re-marriage Isaac was left with his grandmother and his Uncle Reverend William Ayscough, who were always encouraging the country lad in his studies.

• Growing up Isaac barely maintained average grades and was often found daydreaming, reading books for hours or inventing something or the other. His early childhood inventions included putting together simple fireworks, kite, wooden clock, water wheels and even a mill. His uncle saw potential something more than just a farmer to be, so sent him to Cambridge University to complete his further studies. Isaac Newton's life can be significantly divided into three quite distinct periods. The first is his early childhood days from the year 1643 to the time he graduated from Cambridge, up-till he was appointed as the Lucasian professor of Mathematics at Cambridge in the year 1669.

• The second period of his life was from 1669 to 1687 which was the highly productive period in which he was found teaching for 20 years as Lucasian professor at Cambridge University. The third period (nearly as long as the other two combined) saw Newton as a highly paid government official in London with little further interest in...