Abraham de Moivre, a French mathematician chiefly remembered for the theorem in trigonometry that now bears his name, was born in Champagne, France on may 26, 1667. He died in London on November 27, 1754.

De Moivre was the son of a surgeon. Being a Huguenot, he chose to leave France when the Edict of Nantes was revoked in 1685. In London, he supported himself as a lecturer and private teacher in mathematics and natural science, while he continued his studies in mathematics. There he became a close friend of Newton, and is said to have torn the latter's Principia into sheets that he could carry with him and study in his spare time.

Although de Moivre aspired to a university position in mathematics, he never succeeded in securing one. Most of de Moivre's life was spent in poverty, and he managed to outlive most of his friends. He did achieve recognition for...