The story of the “Divine Émilie” & Voltaire

 Émilie du Châtelet

I am fascinated by women in history who were daring and unconventional. In 18th century France women were enormously restricted by class, position and convention. Gabrielle Émilie Le Tonnelier de Breteuil, Marquise du Châtelet (1706-1749) was a French mathematician, physicist, and author during the Age of Enlightenment. Her crowning academic achievement is considered to be her translation and commentary on Isaac Newton’s work Principia Mathematica, no less! Read the rest of this entry »