Galileo Galilei was born on 15 February 1564 in Pisa. An Italian astronomer, physicist and mathematician, Galileo was a professor at Pisa and Padua. After hearing of the telescope, he built improved versions and in 1609 and 1610 observed the mountains of the Moon, the moons of Jupiter and the phases of Venus, which supported the Copernican view that the planets orbit the Sun. His defence of this view brought him into conflict with the Catholic Church, and in 1633 the Inquisition forced him to renounce it and placed him under house arrest for life. He also laid the foundations of the modern study of motion. He is often called the father of modern science.
Before and after
- 25 November 1562Birth of Lope de Vega
- from 1563 to 1570Northern Seven Years' War
- 1563Construction of Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
- from 1564 to 1883Construction of Tuileries Palace
- 15 February 1564Birth of Galileo Galilei
- 18 February 1564Death of Michelangelo
- 23 February 1564Birth of Christopher Marlowe
- April 1564Birth of William Shakespeare
- 27 May 1564Death of John Calvin
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The era
This moment belongs to the Early modern world (1500 CE to 1760 CE), voyages, printing and new ideas. You can also browse everything in the 16th century.