Mathematician: Gabrielle Emilie Le Tonnelier de Breteuil Marquise du Châtelet

Born: Dec 17, 1706, Paris, France. Died: Sept 10, 1749, in Lunéville, France

Gabrielle du Châtelet was married in 1725 to the Marquis Florent du Châtelet, governor of Semur en Auxois. She became a protogé of the great philosopher, Voltaire, and they worked on philosophical and scientific topics.
Mme du Châtelet's Dissertation sur la nature et la propagation du feu was submitted for the Academy prize of 1744. It did not win, the prize was won by the great Swiss mathematician, Leonard Euler, but her paper was published by the Academy.
Mme du Châtelet's major work was a translation of Newton's monumental Principia. Begun in 1745 a part was published in 1756 under the direction of mahematician, ? Clairaut. Voltaire wrote the preface. The complete work appeared in 1759 and was for many years the only translation of the Principia into French.
Mme du Châtelet died in child birth at the court of the Duke of Lorraine. Her husband, Voltaire and her lover at that time, the poet Jean-Francois de Saint-Lambert, were all present at her death.