Isaac Newton was an English mathematician and physicist born in 1642. He attended Cambridge University where he developed his theories of optics and mathematics. In his most influential work, Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, Newton formulated his law of universal gravitation and three laws of motion, establishing classical mechanics. Newton also made important contributions to mathematics through his work on calculus and helped establish the Royal Society of London. He served as the organization's president for over 20 years until his death in 1727. Newton's work was hugely influential and helped usher in the Scientific Revolution.