Isaac Newton

About Isaac Newton

Sir Isaac Newton, who died in 1726, remains one of history's most pivotal figures, earning the #3 rank in MIT's Historical Popularity Index. As a physicist and mathematician, his contributions fundamentally reshaped the scientific world, most notably through his formulation of the laws of motion and universal gravitation, which established the bedrock of classical mechanics.

Despite his profound historical importance, Newton's modern digital footprint suggests a notable attention gap. He garnered 3.7 million Wikipedia views in 2025. While this represents a 13.6% year-over-year increase, it places him significantly behind contemporary figures. For instance, Elizabeth II (#120 importance) achieved 8.3 million views, and even Bruce Lee (#314 importance) drew 8.4 million views in the same year, illustrating an overattention ratio of approximately +2x compared to his historical ranking.

Furthermore, his 2025 momentum, measured by comparing Q1 to Q3 pageviews, shows a slight contraction of -2%, suggesting that while his foundational concepts remain relevant, the overall trajectory of immediate online interest is softening slightly, despite the general yearly growth.