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Newton's Birth
Isaac Newton was born on December 25, 1642 in Woolsthorpe, England. His mother's name was Hannah Newton. She named Newton after his father, Isaac Newton, who died three months before Newton was born. Newton would become one of the greatest scientists in the world (Anderson 1). -
English Civil War
Civil war broke out in England when King Charles I started to have conflicts with Parliament. His decision to rule England without Parliament caused a rebellion against him. The rebellion was led by Oliver Cromwell and would last six and a half years until January 1649. After the rebellion, King Charles I was beheaded for treason (Anderson 15). *exact date not found -
End of the Ming Dynasty
The decline of the Ming Dynasty started during Emperor Weizong's reign. In this year, many government officials were corrupted, causing the people to live in hardship. Eventually, a rebellion rose against Emperor Weizong. The rebellion was led by Li Zicheng, who had many supporters. In 1644, Li Zicheng captured Xian and the rebellion suceeded. Emperor Weizong hangs himself, marking the end of the Ming dynasty (Ming 1). -
Completion of Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It was built in Agra, India in 1634 and it was completed on 1653. The Taj Mahal is made of white marble and was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Below the Taj Mahal is the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. Today, it is a huge tourist attraction (Taj Mahal 1). *exact date not found -
The King's School
Newton was sent to the King’s School, a grammar school in Grantham. There, a local apothecary that he was boarding with introduced him to the world of chemistry. Newton's teacher at King's School was Mr. Strokes. As a student, Newton spent most of his time making mechanical devices such as sundials and water clocks. (Anderson 17-21). *exact date not found -
Enrolling in Trinity College
Newton went to Trinity College, one of the colleges of Cambridge University. In order to pay his tuition, Newton waited tables and took care of the rooms of wealthier students. In college, Newton liked to read the works of famous scientists and modern philosophers. He took notes on everything he read and kept a book of all his questions (A+E Television 1-2). *exact date not found -
The Great Plague of London
The Great Plague hit London in 1665. It was caused by rats with disease that originated from unsanitary and dirty places. The fleas would carry the disease from the rats to the people. So, the plague spreaded very quickly. By summer, thirty-one thousand people died. Many people fled from London, scared of catching the plague. The plague also caused Cambridge University to temporarily close down. So, Newton had to leave Trinity and go back to Woolsthorpe (Anderson 41-42). *exact date not found -
The Wondrous Year
This is the year when Newton watched the apple fall from the tree and discovered gravity. In the same year, he developed the law of universal gravitation, found the three laws of motion, came up with the theory of light and color, and invented calculus. Historians called this year the annus mirabilis (the wondrous year) because this was the year of Newton's greatest discoveries (World Book 56). *exact date not found -
The Great Fire of London
On the night of September 1, 1666, a fire sprang up in London. However, most people did not pay much attention to the fire because fires were common in London. They made a big mistake. Overnight, the wind had gotten stronger and the fire spread rapidly. The fire was so big that it went on for four nights and days, destroying eighty-seven churches and over thirteen thousand homes. The fire also ended the plague because the rats were killed (Anderson 56-57). -
The Principia
In 1687, Newton's three laws of motion, along with his law of universal gravitation, were published in his book, Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (World Biography 57). It was written in Latin and there were three volumes to the Principia (Anderson 82). The Principia is said to be one of the most influential books on physics ever written (A+E Television 4). -
The Reflecting Telescope
After Newton's discoveries about light, he decided to make a reflecting telescope. The first thing he did was use reflecting mirrors instead of lenses for his telescope (Anderson 58). He then put the mirror in an angle so it was facing the person looking through the telescope. When the telescope was finished, it was only eight inches long. However, it gave a clear and larger image than the old type of telescopes, planets could even be seen through it (Anderson 60). *exact date not found -
The Glorious Revolution
King James II's daughter, Mary was married to Prince William from Holland. King James II was a Catholic. He just had a baby son that was going to be the heir to the throne. People weren't happy that the new king was gong to be a Catholic. So, Prince William led an invasion of England with six hundred ships. James II fled to France and William and Mary became the king and queen of England (Anderson 91-92). *exact date not found -
The Master of the Mint
Isaac Newton became the Master of the Mint in 1700. In that time, Europe was in a coin crisis because coins were easily counterfeited (Anderson 96-97). As Master of the Mint, he took his job seriously and severely punished the people that made counterfeit coins. Newton also moved the Pound Sterling, the British currency, from the silver to gold standard. Newton became an important figure in reforming the British monetary system (A+E Television 5). *exact date not found -
President of the Royal Society
The Royal Society was a community consisting of the most outstanding scientists. Newton was a member of the Royal Society since 1672. After the death of one of his rivals, Robert Hooke, Newton became the president of the Royal Society. As the president of the Royal Society, Newton greater increased his influence in the scientific world (A+E Television 5-6). -
Opticks
Newton's theory of light and color was published in his book, Opticks. In the book, Newton included his experiments on light and color and the results he found. Opticks was widely received because of the popularity he gained from writing the Principia. Also, many people were able to read Opticks because it was written in English, instead of Latin (World Biography 1). *exact date not found -
Newton's Death
Newton died on March 20, 1727. He was buried in Westminster Abbey. A huge monument was made in his memory. On the monument it said, "Let Mortals rejoice that there has existed so great an Ornament to the Human Race" (Anderson 108). Isaac Newton was one of the greatest scientists of all time. His discoveries, especially in gravity, would forever be a great impact in the world of science (World Book 56).
