Pascal was a child prodigy, who was educated by his father. He was a mathematician of the first order. At 16 he wrote the Essai pour les coniques which was published in 1640. In 1642 he invented a calculating machine to help his father, who served as Royal Tax Commissioner at Rouen. Pascal is often credited with the discovery of the mathematical theory of probability, and he also made serious contributions to number theory and geometry. In 1646 Pascal …showed first 75 words of 759 total…

…showed last 75 words of 759 total…him. 1656 Appearance of the first of the Provicial Letters. 1658 Lectures on his apologetics to the leaders of Port-Royal. 1659 Comes down with the illness that will lead to his death. Works in brief periods of relief from suffering. 1661 Jacqueline dies. Port-Royal closed after official condemnation of Jansenism. 1662 August 17, Blaise Pascal dies in the house of one of his sisters. 1670 Publication of his Thoughts which he had worked on sporadically the last four years of his life.