Blaise Pascal

Timeline

1. 1623–1631Clermont-Ferrand · AuvergneBorn into an official's family, he displayed astonishing mathematical ability from childhood, teaching himself Euclidean geometry under his father's instruction, laying the foundation for his later scientific innovations.
2. 1631–1654Paris · Kingdom of FranceIn 1642 he invented the mechanical calculator known as the Pascaline; his correspondence with Fermat laid the foundations of probability theory, and in 1647 he conducted experiments on the vacuum and atmospheric pressure, challenging the Aristotelian physical tradition.
3. 1654–1660Paris · Kingdom of FranceIn November 1654 he experienced a religious conversion known as the 'night of fire', withdrew from worldly social life, joined the Jansenist apologetic controversies, and wrote works such as the Provincial Letters defending the theology of grace.
4. 1661–1662Paris · Kingdom of FranceAfter 1661 his health deteriorated, yet he continued organizing his apologetic notes and drafting fragments of the Pensées, exploring the relationship between faith and reason through arguments such as the 'wager argument'. He died in August 1662.