Facts about Isaac Newton
- 12
Newton's experiments with a rotating bucket of water demonstrated that absolute space exists by showing the water's surface curves when the bucket spins, even without relative motion to surrounding objects.
- 11
Principia Mathematica took Newton approximately 18 months to write between 1685 and 1687, with mathematician Edmond Halley funding the entire publication at his own expense.
- 10
Throughout his life, Newton suffered from severe mental breakdowns, including a particularly debilitating episode in 1693 that lasted several months and caused him to withdraw from correspondence and scientific work.
- 09
Newton's 1704 book Opticks described his corpuscular theory of light, proposing that light consists of tiny particles traveling in straight lines rather than waves.
- 08
Newton's eyesight deteriorated severely in his later years, forcing him to rely on assistants for experimental work and correspondence during his final decade of life.
- 07
Newton's work as Master of the Royal Mint from 1699 until his death in 1727 made him responsible for England's currency, and he aggressively prosecuted counterfeiters, securing over 100 convictions.
- 06
Newton's optical experiments with prisms in 1666 proved that white light comprises a spectrum of colors, refuting the prevailing theory that prisms created color rather than separated it.
- 05
Apple trees growing in Newton's garden at Woolsthorpe Manor allegedly inspired his theory of universal gravitation around 1666 when a falling apple caught his attention.
- 04
Newton's detailed study of alchemy consumed over 1 million words across thousands of manuscript pages during his lifetime, though he never publicly acknowledged this secret obsession.
- 03
At age 46, Newton served as Member of Parliament for Cambridge University in 1689, though historical records show he spoke only once during his entire parliamentary tenure.
- 02
In 1687, Newton published Principia Mathematica, a 3-volume work containing his law of universal gravitation and three laws of motion.
- 01
During 1666, Isaac Newton developed calculus and laws of motion while Cambridge University closed due to the Great Plague.