Galileo Galilei

Born in Pisa in 1564, Galileo Galilei became a mathematician, physicist, and astronomer whose ideas transformed early modern science. He taught in Pisa and Padua, built on the new telescope to make powerful observations, and reported discoveries that caught all of Europe’s attention, including mountains on the Moon and moons orbiting Jupiter.

His writings argued that nature should be studied through observation, experiment, and mathematics. That approach helped lay the groundwork for modern physics, while his support for the Copernican view of the universe brought him into famous conflict with the Roman Catholic Church.

In 1633 he was tried by the Inquisition and spent the rest of his life under house arrest. Even so, his later work continued to influence generations of scientists, and he is still remembered as one of the boldest and most important thinkers in the history of science.