Astronomer Galileo Galilei Born in Pisa
Galileo Galilei was born on February 15, 1564, under the Julian calendar. He was an Italian natural philosopher, astronomer, mathematician, and physicist whose work laid foundations for modern science. Educated at the University of Pisa, he later taught there and at Padua. Using an improved telescope he discovered Jupiter's four largest moons, observed the phases of Venus, mapped the Moon's surface, and identified sunspots, providing evidence supporting the Copernican heliocentric model. His experiments on motion, falling bodies, and inertia advanced the scientific method through mathematics and experimentation. Galileo's advocacy of heliocentrism led to conflict with the Catholic Church; in 1633 he was tried for heresy and spent his final years under house arrest, where he completed major works on mechanics....