Revised History History Physics

An Apple Fell on Newton's Head, Inspiring Gravity Theory

An apple inspired him, but there's no evidence it hit him; Newton saw it fall

Isaac Newton was struck on the head by a falling apple, which sparked his theory of gravity.

Newton himself reported that seeing an apple fall to the ground inspired his thoughts on gravity, but accounts were later embellished. Contemporary accounts and Newton's own notes suggest he observed the apple falling, not that it struck him. The dramatized version with the apple hitting his head became popular in 18th and 19th-century retellings.

Believed 1666–1800
Year Revised 1920
Why Changed Oversimplification
Confidence Revised
Region Worldwide

Reception

8/10
6/10

Sources

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