Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa on February 15, 1564. His father, Vincenzo Galilei, had a great knowledge of mathematics, and studied music. Vincenzo’s studies certainly influenced Galileo from a young age. After Vincenzo died in 1591, the family caretaker role fell to Galileo, who had to care for 2 brothers and 3 sisters.
Being from a poor family, Galileo was disadvantaged in his early education but still basically received a classical education. At age 19, Galileo’s father made the decision to provide him with a university education at the university in Pisa, with the intention of him studying medicine. At university, the philosopher rejected/challenged the widely-taught Aristotelian philosophy and also developed the first pendulum for the purpose of tracking pulses.
Galileo himself was skilled in several instruments, especially the lute, and he was very fond of painting. He even considered pursuing art as a profession. His art critique skills were praised.
His Essay on the Hydrostatical Balance, written while studying Archimedes, gained the attention of some important people, including the Duke of Tuscany. Because of this, he secured a lectureship position at Pisa in 1589 teaching mathematics.
Galileo received much criticism from people for challenging their world views, so he moved to Venice where he gained a 6-year professorship at the university of Padua teaching mathematics. Here he picked up the pace publishing his works, and he reinvented the thermometer.
Importantly, he subscribed to Copernicus model of solar system, which was not the standard of the time. He was called a heretic for his publications about the solar system relating to the Copernicus system and faced Roman Inquisition. As a result, he had to rescind his beliefs and swear both that he did not believe them and would not teach them. His writings were forbidden after this.
Later in his life he went blind, and after the inquisition he lived out the rest of his life in Arcetri. He died on January 8, 1642.
Quick Facts
- Improvement of telescope in 1609
- Founder of the school of experimental philosophy
- Good friends with Kepler
- Discovered some of Jupiter’s satellites
- Discovered shadows on the moon, proves that heavenly bodies are not perfect
- Had a son (Vincenzo) and two daughters (Julia and Polissena)
Bibliography
- Drake, Stillman. Galileo at Work: His Scientific Biography. University of Chicago, 1978.