Sir Isaac Newton is one of the most influential physicists and mathematicians of all time. Because of his wide range of influence, it’s not surprising that many of the details of his life are well known. However, there are some facts about Newton that have slipped through the cracks. Here, we present our list of 15 things you probably didn’t know about Isaac Newton. Check out part one below, and stay tuned for part two, coming soon!
Number Fifteen: He Did Not Like His Step-Father. Newton loved making lists, and so he made one of all of his sins (in his mind) up until the age of 19. One of those sins he listed was “Threatening my father and mother Smith to burne them and the house over them.” However, this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise – when Newton’s mother married his step-father, Newton was sent away to live with his grandmother.
Number Fourteen: He Nearly Died as a Child. Newton was born between 11 and 15 weeks premature, which was a very big deal at the time. Apparently, at the time of his birth, Newton could fit in a quart-sized cup.
Number Thirteen: The Famous Apple Story Never Happened. The iconic story goes that Newton was sitting under a tree when an apple hit him on the head, which made him realize what gravity was. However, the real story is that Newton was just looking out of a window when he saw an apple drop from a tree. Despite this more realistic version, some experts still don’t believe the apple thing ever happened.
Number Twelve: He Stuttered. Newton may have stuttered, but that certainly doesn’t make him any less of a genius. Other people who stuttered include Aristotle, Moses, Charles Darwin and Winston Churchill.
Number Eleven: He Was Not Actually Born on January 4. When Newton was born, the Gregorian calendar had not yet been adopted by England. Records show that Newton was born on Christmas day; however, when the Gregorian calendar was adopted in England, his birthday was adjusted by 11 days to January 4.
Number Ten: He Studied the Apocalypse Quite Extensively. Newton believed that God had chosen him to interpret the bible. From this, Newton deduced that the world would not end until at least 2060.
Number Nine: He Was No Politician. Though Newton was brilliant in many ways, he was a very quiet and nondescript politician. He was a member of parliament for one year, and in that one year he spoke up only once, to tell somebody to close a window.