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Start How Much do You Know about Isaac Newton
16 April 2019

How Much do You Know about Isaac Newton

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Isaac Newton was born on January 4, 1643 to a poor, farming family in Woolsthorpe, a village in the county of Lincolnshire, England. Three months before he was born, his biological father died, and when Isaac was only three years old, he was left in the care of his grandparents because his mother’s new husband didn’t want to raise a stepson. During his childhood and young adulthood, Newton was an introvert; he had few friends and was disinterested in his studies, even though he was intelligent, curious, and imaginative.

At 13 he was enrolled in King’s School, near the village of his birth, where he studied the basic curriculum of an elementary school of the era: Latin, High Greek, geometry and arithmetic. To compensate for how difficult it was to socialize, given his introverted nature, Newton focused on his studies and became the best student at the school.

At 17, his mother wanted him to dedicate himself to farming, taking charge of the lands inherited from his stepfather, but he was not interested in assuming the responsibilities of a landowner. So, a year later, he enrolled at the University of Cambridge to continue his studies, although from the outset, he preferred the library to classes. He graduated in mathematics from Trinity College as a mediocre student.

When he was 23, he had to return to his family home because of an outbreak of the plague in 1665 and 1666. During this period, he made important discoveries such as the development of the basics of classical mechanics, his Method of Fluxions (derivative calculus), the generalization of the binomial theorem in addition, he showed up the physics of colors.

Newton is one of the biggest names in science, partially thanks to his being the first to manage to explain nature by using mathematical equations, which was unthinkable prior to his theories. In addition to his breakthroughs in physics and philosophy, he made important discoveries in mathematics, optics, and astronomy.

Throughout his life, Newton received more acclaim than any other scientist as the various positions of honor he earned attest: he was elected a member of parliament (1689); he was placed in charge of the mint (1696) ; he was named president of the Royal Society (1703) and finally, in 1705 Queen Anne named him a Sir.

Discover some very interesting facts about Isaac Newton by taking the test.

 

Newton’s genius left an indelible mark on the development of modern civilization, unequaled in intellect, as it reads on his epitaph: “Mortals rejoice that there has existed such and so great an ornament of the human race! “

 

Paz Palacios for OpenMind

 

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