Although Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz had no formal training as a mathematician, his contributions to the field of mathematics are still evident today. His results and work laid the foundations for deeper and more rigorous treatments of calculus that would come later by various mathematicians. One of his most enduring legacies is the notations he used for calculus, which are still used around the world. Outside of mathematics, Gottfried Leibniz contributed to the fields of philosophy, law and politics. Gottfried Leibniz was born to Friedrich Leibniz and Catharina Schmuck on July 1, 1646 in Leipzig, Saxony, Germany (Ross, 2000). His father, Friedrich, was a professor of moral philosophy at the University of Leipzig. Gottfried's mother was the daughter of a lawyer and the third wife of Friedrich Leibniz (Ross, 2000). Gottfried's family also included his half-brother Johann Friedrich, half-sister Anna Rosina, and sister Anna Catherine (Ross, 2000). There is no indication that Gottfried's immediate family was interested in mathematics. Gottfried's father had the greatest influence in his life, even though his father died when Gottfried was only six years old. After his father's death, Gottfried gained access to his father's extensive library where he studied many higher-level works on philosophy, theology, and law, including works by Plato and Aristotle (EGS , 2010). About a year after his father's death, at the age of seven, Gottfried was enrolled at the Nicolai School in Leipzig (EGS, 2010). At the Nicolai School, Gottfried studied Latin and other standard programs for the school's boys. In 1661, at the age of fourteen, he entered the University of Leipzig where he mainly studied philosophy, mathematics, rhetoric...... middle of paper ......16 at age 70 years in Hanover (Ross, 2000). Unfortunately, the scientific community did not see fit to commemorate his historic life and Gottfried's grave remained anonymous for over fifty years (Rational, 2010). After his death, much of his work was published under the name Freiherr GW von Leibniz, although there is no trace of nobility (Aiton, 1985). Some believe that his recognition in the field of mathematics was lacking during his life because his ideas, works and concepts were far ahead of his time. His work on self-similarity and the principle of continuity are an example, Leibniz anticipating by more than two centuries what would later become topology (Rational, 2010). Ahead of his time or not, Gottfried Leibniz's contributions to the fields of mathematics, philosophy and logic will live on and be taught around the world for a long time to come...