Isaac Newton proposed the three laws of motion and universal gravitation in Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica.
Newton published the Principia in 1687, presenting a mathematical framework that connected motion on Earth with the movement of celestial bodies. His three laws describe inertia, the relationship between force and acceleration, and the paired nature of forces. His law of universal gravitation states that every mass attracts every other mass.
The work helped establish classical mechanics and provided explanations for planetary orbits, falling objects, tides, and the motion of comets. Newton built on earlier discoveries by scientists including Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler.
Newton also made major contributions to optics and mathematics. He developed a form of calculus independently of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, investigated the composition of white light, and served as president of the Royal Society. His theories remained dominant until twentieth-century physics introduced relativity and quantum mechanics.