Sir was an English mathematician and physicist, considered one of the greatest scientists in history. He made important contributions to many fields of science. His discoveries and theories laid the foundation for much of the progress in science. Newton was one of the inventors of a form of mathematics called calculus. He also solved the mysteries of light and optics, formulated the three laws of motion, and derived from them the law of universal gravitation. Newton was born on December 25, 1642, at Woolsthorpe, near Grantham in Lincolnshire. ....