Isaac Newton (1642–1727) was one of the greatest scientists and natural philosophers of the Western tradition. Alexander Pope wrote his epitaph:

Newton made coherent, mathematically sound sense of the Copernican Theory, Kepler’s and Tycho Brahe’s discoveries, and Galileo’s findings. He united terrestrial and celestial mechanics in a comprehensive cosmological system that supported further research for over 300 years. His scientific view of the cosmos included a place for the God of Christians, which was much appreciated in his time. Newton’s equations are still useful for calculations of motion in the middle range of medium-sized objects close to the surface of Earth. (Newton’s theory is not useful for sub-atomic particle research and measurements made in light years.)