Issac Newton

Despite a six month period given for solution, no European mathematician could solve it. Eventually the news of this challenge reached Issac Newton in London. Although a very distinguished scientist in his early career when he also graced the Lucasian Chair at Cambridge, Newton had moved to London as the master of the Mint. There he had introduced many reforms. But he was officially detached from the academic-cum-research environment of a university like Cambridge.
                       It is said that Newton had just come back from his mint work in the evening when the of the problem reached him. The challenge part nettled him into having a go at solving the problem right away. He sat down to solve it and finally succeeded after working on it till the early morning hours. He sent his solution to the Royal Society telling the Secretary to forward it to Bernoulli without telling him who had actually solved it. It is said that when the solution reached Bernoulli he recognized that such an elegant solution could come only from Issac Newton; and he remarked; "I know the lion from its paws."
                      Stories like this tell us about the human side of the subject. They remind us that although maths is an apparently dry subject moving along logical tracks, its practitioners are human and their interaction with the subject adds a lot of human interest that makes the subject attractive.