Galilei Galileo: Brief History Of A Legend
Probably you have heard about Galilei Galileo in High School? You want to know more about him? You are just at the right place.
Galilei Galileo (15 Feb 1564 - 8 January 1642) was an Italian astronomer, mathematician, physicist and engineer.
Galileo was born in Italy on 15 February 1564. He was the first of the six children of his father, Vincenzo Galilei, a famous lutenist and musician and mother, Gualia, who got married in 1562.
Galileo's surname, Galilei was derived from the given name of an ancestor, Galileo Bonaiuti who was a physician, university teacher and politician.
Only three out of five Galileo's siblings survived infancy. The youngest of them, Michelangelo, became a noted lutenist and composer like their partner.
The journey of Galileo's career was a demanding one. His father urged him to enroll in University of Pisa for Medicine against the priesthood which Galileo considered.
In 1581, when he was studying Medicine in 1581, he noticed a chandelier that was swinging. It seemed to be in comparison with his heart beat, taking the same amount of time to swing back and forth no matter how far it was swinging. He returned home to set up two pendulum of equal length and swing one with a large sweep and the other one with a small sweep and he got to find that they kept time together.
At this point, Galileo decided to study mathematics and natural philosophy. He had to talk his father into letting him study mathematics and natural philosophy.
He created a thermoscope which was a forerunner of thermometer. In 1586, Galileo made a book on the design of hydrostatic balance he invented.
Galileo was appointed to the chair of mathematics in Pisa in 1589. In 1592, he moved to the University of Padua where he taught astronomy, geometry and mechanics.
It was during this period, Galileo made some discoveries in practical applied science and pure applied science.
His multiple interests include the study of astology, which at the time was a discipline tied to the study of mathematics and astronomy.
Galileo was one of the first modern thinkers to clearly state that the laws of nature are mathematical
Galileo learned about a simple telescope built by some dutch eyeglass makers in 1609 and made one of his own. He demonstrated it to some Venetican merchants who saw its value for spotting ships and gave Galileo a salary to produce more of the glasses.
Galileo had alot of books written, alot of discoveries made. He died aged 77, on 8 January 1642 after suffering from fever and heart palpitations.
