IN 1642, the scientific world mourned the death of the scientist, Galileo Galileo. But Christmas Day of that year saw the birth in Linconshire, England of another great mind: Isaac Newton.

Sadly, three months before Isaac Newton’s birth, his father died. Unfortunately again, the young Isaac was born frail and sickly. As if lighting strikes thrice, his mother’s second husband strongly disliked the boy and had him promptly sent off to live with the lad’s grandparents.

On account of these sad incidents the boy developed a psychotic tendency and a fierce hatred for his stepfather. The young Isaac’s attitude affected his schooling. His poor performance in school landed him at the bottom of his class, except for another dullard who taunted him as “class goat.”

To settle the matter, Newton challenged the bully to a fight; sadly, Isaac lost. To make matters worse, his mother, widowed once again, remarried for the second time. His second step-father promptly sent him to watch a herd of cows. However, the beating and his being a cowherd awakened him from his “academic slumber.”

He started to think, and deeply. One day while deep in thought, an apple fell on his head. Lo and behold, like Archimedes’ “Eureka,” he thought of gravity, thereafter formulated the universal law of gravitation.

Once awakened his mind not only dove deep into math and science. He also studied Latin and Greek as well as the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle and Descartes.

Besides the law of gravitation, Newton formulated the laws of motion and infinitesimal calculus.

In recognition of his genius, the British Crown bestowed knighthood on him. The great Sir Isaac Newton, once considered “class goat,” passed away on March 17,1726.