Isaac Newton Facts: Sir Isaac Newton was an English astronomer, physicist, mathematician and a philosopher. He is one of the most recognised and renowned scientists of all times as he is responsible for bringing about a scientific revolution with his revolutionising discoveries.
He was born on January 4, 1643, and his discoveries include the law of gravity, the shape of the earth and the law of the optics.
He is one of the most revered personalities of all times, however, many of us know very less about him. Here are some of the most obscure facts the great discoverer Sir Isaac Newton.
Lesser known and astonishing Isaac Newton Facts
Baby Isaac was not expected to live. Newton was born prematurely and he was not expected to live much longer as his condition was quite critical. It is said that when he was born he was so small that he could fit into a quart mug. We wouldn’t have known gravity had he not lived to explore it.
“Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things.”
Had he been a good farmer, he would not have become a scientist! Newton’s mother forced him to work with his uncle on the farm so he had to work as a farmer. However, he was a terrible farmer and thus his uncle convinced his mother to pursue higher studies. Thanks to his poor farming skills!
The famous story that Newton’s theory of gravity was inspired by an apple that fell from the tree. Newton himself had said that he was staring out of the window of his house when he saw an apple falling from the tree. However, it is not true that the apple fell on Newton’s head.
“I can calculate the motions of the heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people.”
Isaac Newton Facts
Apart from spending long hours studying for his scientific discoveries, Newton had as great interest in Alchemy, a pseudoscience dealing with the study of converting base metals into gold. He also wrote several books on alchemy however they were never published since at that time making silver and gold was considered a felony.
Although Newton is widely famous for his scientific discoveries, Newton had a greater interest in religion. He was obsessed with the Bible and had read it at great lengths. Apparently, he wrote more on religion than on science.
He was elected as the Member of the parliament in 1689 and served for just one year. During his tenure in the parliament, he spoke just one sentence, that too for asking an usher to close an open window.
“I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.”
Purported sapling of the apple tree that inspired Isaac Newton to discover the law of gravity
Newton’s biological father died three months before his birth and it made their financial condition unstable. It was when his mother decided to remarry that their financial condition stabilised and finally Newton was able to go to the Trinity College.
Newton predicted that the world would end in 2060 AD after the intensive study of the Book of Daniel.
