Simon Newcomb

Date of Birth: March 12, 1835

Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Date of Death: July 11, 1909

Biography

Simon Newcomb was a Canadian-American astronomer, mathematician, and autodidactic polymath. Born in Nova Scotia, Newcomb moved to the United States where he made significant contributions to the fields of astronomy and mathematics. He was particularly known for his work in celestial mechanics and for his role in refining astronomical constants. Newcomb served as a professor of mathematics at the United States Naval Observatory and later at Johns Hopkins University. He was also a prolific writer, producing numerous scientific papers, textbooks, and popular science articles that helped to popularize complex scientific concepts.

5 Interesting Facts about Simon Newcomb

1. Simon Newcomb played a crucial role in the establishment of the Nautical Almanac Office in the United States.

2. He was a pioneer in the field of numerical analysis and made early contributions to the development of computational methods.

3. Newcomb’s Law, also known as Benford’s Law, is named after him and describes the frequency distribution of leading digits in many real-life sets of numerical data.

4. He was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1874 for his contributions to astronomy.

5. Newcomb authored an influential textbook titled “A Compendium of Spherical Astronomy” which was widely used in the academic community.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Simon Newcomb

1. “If we wish to foresee the future of mathematics, our proper course is to study the history and present condition of the science.”

2. “The scientist’s task is to find truth, not to please the tastes of the public.”

3. “The mathematics is not there till we put it there.”

4. “What we call progress is the exchange of one nuisance for another nuisance.”

5. “Mathematics is the key and door to the sciences.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Simon Newcomb’s highest net worth during his lifetime is not well-documented, as he lived in an era when detailed financial records of scientific figures were not commonly maintained. However, his contributions to science and academia were highly valued and recognized.

Children

Simon Newcomb had several children. Among them was his daughter, Anita Newcomb McGee, who became a notable physician and was one of the founders of the Army Nurse Corps.