Isaac Newton
1643–1727, Woolsthorpe, England, London, England
Newtonian mechanicsAnalytical mechanics
English physicist and mathematician who founded classical mechanics and calculus, and made major contributions to optics.
Newton was born in Woolsthorpe and studied at Cambridge University. During 1665-1666, when Cambridge closed due to plague, he developed his core ideas on calculus, optics, and gravitation — often called his 'annus mirabilis' (miracle year). In 1687 he published the Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica, laying out the three laws of motion and universal gravitation, unifying mechanics on Earth with the motion of celestial bodies.
Workplaces: University of Cambridge, Royal Mint
United Kingdom