Isaac Newton (1643–1727), English physicist, mathematician, and astronomer, was the founder of classical mechanics and modern optics. Born to a farming family in Lincolnshire, he studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he developed his theories of gravitation and calculus. His 1687 Principia Mathematica laid the foundations of classical mechanics.
Newton formulated the three laws of motion and the law of universal gravitation, unifying celestial and terrestrial mechanics under a single mathematical framework. His prism experiments revealed that white light consists of multiple colors, founding modern optics. He independently developed calculus alongside Leibniz.
Newton is considered one of the greatest physicists in history. His classical mechanics dominated physics for over two centuries until Einstein's relativity. His scientific method—describing natural laws through mathematics—established the paradigm of modern science that enabled the Industrial Revolution and space exploration.
