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His Birth
Sir Isaac Newton was born on January 4, 1643 at Woolsthorpe Manor, in Lincolnshire, England, to Hannah Newton and the deceased Issac Newton Senior, who passed away two months earlier. He was born a very small and weak baby. There was even doubt of him living a long life. Despite all of this, he grew up to have one of the best minds of all time (Isaac Newton Biography). -
Left to Be Raised by Maternal Grandmother
At the age of 3, Isaac was left by his mother to be raised by his maternal grandmother. Hannah re-married to a significant minister, Barnabas Smith, and moved in with him. The abandonment by his mother left him insecure and anxious. This later manifested as an obsession over his published works (Isaac Newton Biography). -
Reunited With his Mother
Newton was reunited with his mother 9 years after the abandonment. Her second husband had died and she came back with 3 new children and the intentions of making Isaac a farmer. After he failed, he was allowed to return to school (Isaac Newton Biography). -
Isaac Enrolled at Cambridge University
After three days of traveling, Newton reached his new school. He enrolled in Trinity College at the University. He started out as a sizar, otherwise known as a servant. One night out on a walk, in an effort to find some quiet, he met John Wickins, someone who he would later study with and form a strong companionship with (Anderson 32). -
Louis XIV Became King
After becoming King at age 5, Louis started his reign as King in 1661. He centralized power around himself. Just outside of Paris, he created his court at the Palace of Versailles. He drew his nations bishops and nobles to pay him respect or simply observe his daily life (Black 33). -
George Fox Founds the Quakers
Frustrated by the formal ways of the Church of England, George Fox established the society of Friends, also known as the Quakers. Their meetings involved no liturgy and ritual, instead, long periods of silence and contemplation with the aim of direct and personal knowledge of the divine. The group got their nickname from the habit of members quaking in their worship. Quakers were recognized as advocates for peace and equality (Black 291). -
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Miracle Years
Between 1665 and 1666, Newton did his greatest thinking of his career. His famous discovery of gravity came upon him while he was sitting under an apple tree. He wondered, why did the apple fall down, not any other direction? He later reflected on this time when he said, "In those days I was in the prime of my age for invention and minded mathematics and philosophy more than any time since." This period set him up for a successful future (Anderson 42-43). -
The Reflecting Telescope
His first significant scientific achievement came when he constructed the reflecting telescope as part of his duties as a professor at Cambridge University. He delivered a series of lectures focusing on optics. As a result of his invention, he was able to prove his theory of light and color, which later led him giving a demonstration to the Royal Society and publication of Newton's Opticks: Or, A treatise of the Reflections, Refractions, Inflections and Colours of Light (Isaac Newton Biography). -
Hudson Bay Company Established
This very successful company, founded by Prince Rupert, cousin of Charles II of England, revolved around trade in furs throughout the Hudson Bay Area. It had power to establish laws, create forts, maintain warships with their discretion, and make peace or war with the natives. These advantages led to conflict between the countries. It eventually lost its power but was left to be remembered as the most important Canadian fur company (Black 201). -
New Member of Royal Society
Impressed with Newton's ideas of light and color and his telescope invention, he was invited to become a member of the Royal Society. Due to this membership, he was able to get validation for his ideas and work, meet a variety of scientists from around the world, and battle his insecurity through publication. He maintained this membership throughout his life (Anderson 62). -
Mathematical Principal of Natural Philosophy is Published
His single most influential book on philosophy, Principia, it contained his three basic laws of motion;
A stationary body will stay stationary unless an external force is applied to it.
Force is equal to mass times acceleration, and a change in motion (i.e., change in speed) is proportional to the force applied.
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This led him to gain worldwide fame.(Isaac Newton Biography) -
Acts of Parliament Passed
After royal turmoil, the Acts of Parliament passed in an effort to decrease and restrain the power of the throne. Amongst the acts were the guidelines, Parliament had to meet every year, taxes could only be collected one year at a time, the king/queen had to be a Protestant, and with Parliaments knowledge they could only then leave the country. After many years of following through with the Acts, Britain started to become a constitutional monarchy (Black 29). -
First Factory
The world's first factory was developed in Derby, England, simply for its production of silk. The workers used machines to unreel the silk from their cocoons to produce their product. At the time, they used water power to operate the factory which they located on a fast-flowing stream to help. This idea would later lead to the change in how the world saw industrialization (Black 204). -
Knighted by Queen
Coming a long way from a farm at Lincolnshire, Queen Anne of England gave Issac the honor of knighthood. It took place at Trinity College in Cambridge. This ensured he would forever be known as Sir Issac Newton, a title of respect for his life's work (Anderson 105). -
Benjamin Franklin is Born
In Boston, a well known inventor was born. He was the tenth son of a candle and soap maker, who later grew up to be an early Patriot during the American Revolution. He discovered electricity through his famous kite & key experiment. He also served the early American government (Benjamin Franklin Biography). -
His Death
After 84 years of inventing and thinking unlike anyone else, Newton passed away. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, a place of recognition, honor, and respect. As a result of being placed in a public space, Newton can still be visited today. He is still remembered to this day for his accomplishments that affected science forever (Losure 125).
