- Sir Isaac Newton PRS (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1726/27) was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author (described in his time as a “natural philosopher”), widely recognised as one of the greatest mathematicians and physicists and among the most influential scientists of all time. He was a key figure in the philosophical revolution known as the Enlightenment. His book Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy), first published in 1687, established classical mechanics. Newton also made seminal contributions to optics, and shares credit with German mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz for developing infinitesimal calculus.
- Lacamas Heritage Trail Hike (OregonHikers.org)
This wide, flat trail, which runs along one shore of Lacamas Lake, attracts lots of joggers, walkers, and cyclists on nice days. There are a number of interpretive signs along the trail. This hike can be done all year, but the best times are when water levels are high. Native wildflowers bloom in profusion along the trail in spring. In late summer, after water levels on the lake drop, there can be a slightly unpleasant odor from the mudflats. For a longer day, you can connect with the trails in Lacamas Park (the Round Lake Loop Hike and the Lacamas Creek Hike) as well as the Washougal River Greenway Loop Hike. On a nice day, you’ll encounter a fair number of joggers, walkers, and cyclists on this trail.
- Isaac Newton was born (according to the Julian calendar in use in England at the time) on Christmas Day, 25 December 1642 (NS 4 January 1643) at Woolsthorpe Manor in Woolsthorpe-by-Colsterworth, a hamlet in the county of Lincolnshire.
- In June 1661, Newton was admitted to Trinity College at the University of Cambridge. His uncle the Reverend William Ayscough, who had studied at Cambridge, recommended him to the university.
- In 1665, he discovered the generalised binomial theorem and began to develop a mathematical theory that later became calculus.
- In April 1667, Newton returned to the University of Cambridge, and in October he was elected as a fellow of Trinity.
- The Principia was published on 5 July 1687 with encouragement and financial help from Halley. In this work, Newton stated the three universal laws of motion.
- In April 1705, Queen Anne knighted Newton during a royal visit to Trinity College, Cambridge.
- Newton died in his sleep in London on 20 March 1727 (OS 20 March 1726; NS 31 March 1727).
