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He was born in Woolsthorpe Manor, Lincolnshire, England, about 100 miles north of London.
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At the age of 5, Newton goes to the village school. About six years later he is sent to Grantham, a town seven miles away, to attend King's School. At the first he does poorly, but after beating up a bully, he pushes himself to the head of the class.
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When Newton is 16, his mother brings him home from King's School to learn to be a farmer. Newton wants to study instead, and he is eventually sent back to prepare for college. He enrolls at Trinity College at Cambridge in 1661.
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While at Cambridge, Newton divides a notebook into 45 sections so he can make notes of things he wants to know about. He is so involved in studying that he sometimes forgets to eat. In 1665 he receives his bachelor's of arts degree.
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Newton builds an improved version of the reflecting telescope. His friend, Dr. Barrow, takes it to the Royal Society of London, the country's most famous scientific society. The members are so impressed they invite Newton to join.
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In 1684 a scientists urges Newton to write about how a planet moves in a certain orbit. His work turns into a 3-volume book known as Principia. Published in 1687, this work details in the 3 laws of motion and the law of universal gravitation.
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In 1689 Newton runs for Parliament and wins a seat. He serves for one year.
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Around 1693 Newton's health begins to fail and his mind seems to wander. Some think he is having a breakdown. Some think now that he may have been experiencing mercury poisoning from some of his experiments. He is so completely well by 1696.
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He publishes his writtings on his early experiments with light in a book called Opticks
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In 1705 Newton receives the highest honor in the land. He becomes the first British scientist to be knighted. He is now known as "Sir Isaac Newton."
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On March 20, 1727, Sir Isaac Newton dies at the age of 84. He is buried at the famous Westminster Abbey. Sir Isaac Newton will be remembered as a brilliant man whose work in math and science continues to influence the world today.
