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Birth
Isaac Newton was born on December 25, 1642 in Woolsthorpe, England. His father died before he was born, and his mother remarried. This left Isaac in the care of his grandmother. His birth is important because Isaac would go on to be one of the most famous scientists ever. Source: ("Isaac Newton, Sir") -
Death of Louis XIII
In 1643, King Louis XIII of France passed away. This is significant because it left Louis XIV in power when he was only five years old. Louis XIV was the king during the French Revolution, one of the most important events in history. Louis XIV would live until 1715, when he was decapitated. Source: (Grun 290) -
Completion of Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal was completed in 1648. This is significant because it is one of the most recognizable and most beautiful buildings in the world. Today, it is India's largest tourist attraction, bringing in around three million people per year. Source: ("Taj Mahal") -
Death of Charles I
In 1649, Charles I of England was tried for treason. He was found guilty and sentenced to death. He was beheaded. This is significant because it was the first time that an acting monarch was executed in public.
Source: (Grun 294) -
Enters College
Newton entered Trinity College, Cambridge, at age 19. It would be here that Newton started to question long accepted beliefs. It got him interested in math and science. This is important because Newton would not have made the breakthroughs in science that he did without it. This happened in 1661. Source: ("Isaac Newton, Sir") -
Trinity Temporarily Closes
Trinity College temporarily closed in 1666 due to the plague. Newton was back at Woolsthorpe for 18 months. This is important because during this time, Newton did experiments in gravitation and optics. He found out about the properties of light. He also found use in a system of calculus he created. Source: ("Isaac Newton, Sir") -
Receives Master's Degree
Newton received his Master's Degree from Trinity College in 1668. He did this very shortly after his return there. This was important because it allowed him to revisit his work from Woolsthorpe. It also got him recognized by his mathematics professor. This led to the recommendation of Newton as a mathematics teacher, a job in which Newton would take up. Source: ("Isaac Newton, Sir") -
Death of Charles II of England
Charles II of England died in 1685. This is important because it left James II in charge. James was Catholic, and flaunted his Catholicism around. This led to the Glorious Revolution, a bloodless overthrow of James II. Source: (Grun 312) -
Principia
The Principia (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy) was published on July 5, 1687. It had three volumes and a total of 551 pages. In it was Newton's Laws of Motion and how they apply to planets, moons, and comets. This is important because Newton's Laws are still used today. Source: (Anderson 73) -
Peter the Great Embarks on the Grand Embassy
In 1697, Peter the Great of Russia set out on the Grand Embassy, in order to study Western European ways of life. This trip lasted around 18 months.He visited Prussia, Holland, England, and Vienna. This is important because it led to the modernization of Russia. They had to do this because Russia was far behind in modernization. Source: (Grun 318) -
Master of the Mint
After being Warden of the Mint for four years, Newton became Master of the Mint in 1700. He was selected due to his expertise in mathematics, as well as combining metals to make alloys. This is significant because it took up most of Newton's time, distracting him from making more scientific progress. Source: (Anderson 90) -
President of the Royal Society
Newton became President of the Royal Society in 1703. This is significant because it allowed for a much smoother publishing of Newton's second book, Opticks. It also shows that Newton was one of the top scientists of his times. The Royal Society was the group that also published Principia. Source: (Christianson 148) -
Opticks
In 104, Newton published his second book, Opticks. This book was based mainly on Newton's previous experiments and notes on the subject. This is important because it detailed the light spectrum and it gave the world a better understanding about light. Source: ("Isaac Newton") -
Knighthood
In 1705, Isaac Newton was knighted by Queen Anne. The ceremony took place at Trinity College. He had come a long way from his small village in England. He was now Sir Isaac Newton. This is significant because it shows how important of a historical figure Newton was. Source: (Anderson 94) -
Birth of Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was born om January 17, 1706. This is important because he made many contributions to America. He made a famous experiment about electricity, invented many new creations, and was one of the Founding Fathers. Source: (Grun 322) -
Death
Isaac Newton died on March 20, 1727, after being terminally ill that entire month. He was buried in Westminster Abbey. A statue of him was made, and it still stands today in Trinity College. This is significant because Newton was one of the most successful and prestigious scientists that lived. Source: (Anderson 94)
