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Isaac Newton was an amazing and astonishing scientist who took a big role in the
scientific revolution. His discoveries were beyond any that have been discovered
before. Throughout Newtonǯs life he won many awards and honors that put him our
history books today, although his life wasnǯt as perfect as we think. Isaac Newton
was born into a hard life and was faced with many obstacles.

Isaac Newton was born prematurely on Christmas day 1642. He was a son to an
illiterate yeoman, who at the age of three was placed in his grandmotherǯs care in
order for his mother to remarry. In 1661, he went to Cambridge University to study
mathematics, optics, physics, and astronomy. Although in 1665 a plague epidemic
forced the university to close and caused Newton to return home. Although in his
two years home he began to think about gravity and begin the studies that began his
success.

In 1667 Newton returned to school and became a fellow of Trinity College. In 1669
he became second Lucasian Professor of Mathematics. In 1668 Newtonǯs invention
of the telescope caught the eye of the science community and in 1672 became a
fellow of the Royal Society. Newton conducted a series of experiments, which lead
him to the conclusions of the behavior of light. In 1740 Newton published Dzthe
Opticsdz which dealt with light and colour. (BBC Historic Figures) In 1687, with
assistance from Edmond Halley, Newton also published the ǮPhilosophaiae Naturalis
Principia Mathematicaǯ, which was one of his single greatest accomplishments. This
discovery showed how gravity applied to all parts of the universe. In 1689 Newton
was elected MP for Cambridge University.

Newton was also a man of principles. DzIn 1696 Newton was appointed warden of
the Royal Mint, settling in London. He took his duties at the Mint very seriously and
campaigned against corruption and inefficiericy within the organization.dz(BBC
Historic Figures) Newtonǯs theories were very conteversial and denied the ways of
God although he believed what was true. Newton believed in God although he did
not deny his discoveries. While his fellow community condemned him for what he
believed he did not stop but he continued and discovered many other great things
that changed the way we think today.

Isaac Newton died on March 31 1727 and was buried in Westminister Abbey.
Although Newton was often involved in bitter arguments with other scientist, in the
early 1700ǯs he became the dominant figure in British and European science.
Although he is no longer with us he left many innovations and discoveries that have
changed our way of thinking for centuries. In a basic science education we are
taught Newtonǯs three laws and that Earthǯs gravity is what keeps us from floating
into space. Isaac Newton was an amazing scientist and the single most important
contributor to modern science.