His dog set his laboratory on fire, ruining 20 years of research
At least, that’s the story Newton told. Some historians believe that Newton never even owned a dog, hypothesizing that he left a window open and a gust of wind knocked over a lit candle. But the dog story lives on — it was recorded as early as 1833 in The Life of Sir Isaac Newton. When he saw what man’s best friend had done, Newton is said to have exclaimed, “O Diamond, Diamond, thou little knowest the mischief thou hast done.”