Born Dec. 25, 1642, Isaac Newton is likely best known for his conception of the theory of gravity. But there were many more layers to him: In June 1665, with the plague burning through England, Newton left school at the University of Cambridge and returned to his family farm at Woolsthorpe Manor in Lincolnshire after the university closed. Here, he lived for two years in near isolation and produced the greatest creative output of his life.
It’s easy to think of Newton only as a lonely and antisocial genius sitting at a desk, unraveling the mysteries of the universe. Yet there is so much more. In his lifetime, Newton vigorously conducted experiments and constructed models, wrote one the of the most influential science texts of all time and built the first usable reflecting telescope. He created a new form of mathematics, reformed the currency of England while Master of the Mint, and pursued counterfeiters to their deaths on the scaffold. He was cantankerous, paranoid, and feared that his hard work would be stolen by others. He even studied the forbidden art of alchemy. In short, Newton was a complex man living in a complicated age, when magic and science still intermingled.
