Isaac Newton

Every entry, with its source

At 0

1. Jan 4, 1643

   Born in Woolsthorpe, Lincolnshire, after his father's death

   A premature baby not expected to live. Dates here follow the modern calendar; by the old English calendar it was Christmas Day 1642.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 3

1. c. 1646

   His mother remarried and left him with his grandmother

   He was three. He later listed his childhood anger at his mother and stepfather among his sins.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 16

1. Oct 1659

   Pulled out of school at 16 to run the family farm

   He was bad at farming. His headmaster and uncle talked his mother into sending him back.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 18

1. Jun 1661

   Entered Trinity College, Cambridge, at 18

   As a subsizar: he paid his way partly by doing chores for wealthier students.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 22

1. Aug 1665

   Took his BA, then went home as plague closed Cambridge

   The next two years at Woolsthorpe became his 'miracle years': calculus, optics and gravitation all took shape there.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 25

1. c. 1668

   Built the first working reflecting telescope

   He ground the mirror himself. It brought him to the Royal Society's attention.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 26

1. c. 1669

   Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at 26

   His teacher Isaac Barrow stepped down in his favour.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 29

1. Jan 1672

   Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society

   His paper on light and colour that year drew a bitter dispute with Robert Hooke.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 44

1. Jul 5, 1687

   Published the Principia at 44

   Three laws of motion and universal gravitation in one book. Edmond Halley paid for the printing.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 46

1. c. 1689

   Sat in Parliament for Cambridge University

   Little record of him speaking in the House.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 53

1. c. 1696

   Moved to London as Warden of the Royal Mint

   He took the job seriously, recoining the currency and personally pursuing counterfeiters.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 60

1. Nov 1703

   President of the Royal Society, a post he held until death

   He was 60 and ran the Society for the next 24 years.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 61

1. c. 1704

   Published Opticks

   His experiments on light, written in English rather than Latin.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 62

1. Apr 1705

   Knighted by Queen Anne at 62

   Probably for politics and his Mint work rather than science.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org

At 84

1. Mar 31, 1727

   Died in London at 84

   He was the first scientist to be buried in Westminster Abbey.

   Source: en.wikipedia.org