Galileo

You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him to find it for himself.

Profile / Biography

Galileo Galilei was born on February 15, 1564 in Pisa, Italy from a noble family. His father taught music and was an excellent flute player. Galileo had six younger siblings. In 1572, his father moved his family back to Florence. However, Galileo stayed behind with a relative. In 1574, Galileo joined his family and later on became a student at Camaldolese Monastery.

In 1581, Galileo enrolled at the University of Pisa. Galileo’s father wanted his first born to become a doctor. However, Galileo had no interest for the field of medicine and studied philosophy, mathematics and physics.

In 1592, Galileo taught mathematics at the University of Padua and stayed there for 18 years. Nearby was a naval arsenal where Galileo studied the ships and their mechanical devices.

Galileo did not marry but lived with a woman named Marina Gamba. From their relationships, three children were born: two daughters that he sent to a convent and one son that studied with him.

In 1602, Galileo finished his discovery about the pendulum and later on built a pendulum clock. In 1609, Galileo improved on a spyglass device and built the first telescope so he could observe the planets. Galileo by going against the teachings of the Catholic Church and claiming that the earth was revolving around the sun was sentenced by the inquisition to spend the rest of his life confined so Galileo was placed on House arrest.

Galileo wrote many books such as The little Balance (1586), De Motu (1589) Discourse on floating bodies (1612), Letters on the sunspots (1613), Discourses and mathematical demonstrations concerning the two new sciences (1634) and many more.

Galileo died in 1642.