Galileo Galilei

Born on 15 February 1564 in Pisa, Italy, Galileo Galilei was an Italian polymath and major participant in the scientific revolution. After studying mathematics at the University of Pisa, he was offered the chair of mathematics in 1589. During his time there, Galileo performed a number of motion experiments, including some that demonstrated that the rate at which an object falls is independent of its weight. Because the theories he developed conflicted with Aristotelian physics, he was forced to leave his position in 1592 and assume the chair of mathematics at the University of Padua, where he began making his first contributions to observational astronomy. Although he did not invent the telescope, Galileo is credited with perfecting its design and making it more powerful. And he made many revolutionary discoveries once he turned his telescope to the heavens. He found that there are many more stars than are visible to the naked eye and that the Moon is covered with mountains and valleys. He also discovered Jupiter’s four largest moons. Galileo’s ideas, among them his support of Copernican theory, put him at odds with the Catholic Church and eventually led to his being brought before the Inquisition. In 1633 he was forced to recant his views and was placed under house arrest. Nevertheless, he continued his research, even after going completely blind. In 1992, 350 years after Galileo’s death, Pope John Paul II formally retracted the church’s sentence.

Date in History: 15 February 1564