Galileo Galilei's Birth

Galileo Galilei, an Italian astronomer and mathematician famous for improving the telescope and discovering four of Jupiter's moons, was born on this day in 1564. Galileo bravely believed that the Earth and other planets in the Solar System revolved around the Sun (heliocentrism) while many others believed the Earth was the center of the universe. This, of course, was a controversial idea back in the 1500's; the Inquisition tried and forced him under house arrest. As time went on, Galileo's belief was proven to be correct. He is also credited for being one of the first Europeans to observe sunspots. Happy birthday, Galileo!
Galileo's portrait thanks to the Galileo Galilei wikipedia page (opens in new window)