Happy Birthday, Isaac Newton: Birth of Physicist Who Discovered Gravity Celebrated on Christmas Day. ... In 1705, Newton became the first scientist to be knighted, which was performed by Queen Anne.

On this day, in 1642, Sir Isaac Newton was born. He would be 371. ... He was knighted bi the queen of England in 1705 (the second scientist to have been knighted in England).

On April 17, 1705, Queen Anne of Great Britain knighted Isaac Newton at Trinity College, while she was visiting Cambridge. Newton thus became the second scientist to be given this rank.