Isaac Newton is a household name because of the work that he did with gravity. He had more than 15 minutes of fame during his era because of his theories, which is pretty remarkable considering how he was born. He was extremely premature, born as early as the 25th week, and his mother often said that he could fit into a quart-sized cup as a young baby.
He might have had an epiphany regarding gravity that may or may not have involved an apple falling from a tree, but there are some confirmed and interesting facts about Newton to enjoy as well.
1. Newton Despised His Family
One of the things that Newton did throughout his life was make lists. Many of his lists are still preserved to this day, but his most famous list is the accounting of his “sins” that he committed while a child. At one point, according to this list, he threatened to burn his mother and his stepfather and the house down on top of them. Sounds pretty radical, but when his mother got remarried, he was sent to live with his grandmother instead. The bitterness is a bit understandable.
2. He Was Born on Christmas
Although the records of his birth show that he was born on January 4th, this is because the Gregorian calendar was adopted in England in the 18th century. This caused 11 days to be adjusted on the calendar, shifting Newton’s birthday off of Christmas Day. He was actually baptized on New Year’s Day, as premature as he was.
3. The End of the World: 2060
Newton avidly studied the Bible. He did so because he felt like God has specifically chosen him to interpret what the words had to say. Even during his time, there were some very convincing people who were proclaiming that the end of the world would come soon. After looking at the texts, Newton came to one conclusion: that the world would still be around by 2060.
He also believed the Philosopher’s Stone, which would turn lead into gold, was real. He wrote several papers about his research into the subject.
4. Newton Was a Member of Parliament
Newton didn’t like politics one bit. He hated it so much, in fact, that the one year he served in Parliament, he only spoke once. When he did speak, it wasn’t to contribute to a discussion. He was simply telling someone to close a window.
5. His Dog Set Fire to His Lab
You know those threats to set the house on fire? His dog actually carried through with the threat, but it was to Newton’s lab instead. Newton lost 20 years of work in the fire to the dog that he lovingly had called “Diamond.” Of course there are some historians that believe Newton made up the story of the dog so people wouldn’t be talking about how he accidentally knocked a candle over and set the fire himself, but that “sin” never made an official list.
