PISA- Galileo Galilei was born on February 15th of 1564 to Vincenzio Galilei and Giulia Ammannati. Vincenzio had come from a once-prominent family in Florence and so his first son was named after the man who had given the family his name, Galileo. Growing up in Pisa, his parents left for Florence when Galileo was eight and left him behind for two years in the hands of his aunt and uncle. He then moved back with his parents and received basic education in Florence centering around Latin classics. Galileo also learned how to play the lute (like his father) and how to draw proficiently.
Due to his studies in the monastery, Galileo was attracted to the life of the priest and soon started his studies to become one. His father, however, had very different plans- he wanted his son to become a doctor. Galileo was soon enrolled in the University of Pisa for medicine and arts. In September of 1581, Galileo returned to live with his aunt and uncle and was trained in the teachings of Aristotle and Galen. Though some might consider the philosophy of the ancient Greeks to be an enlightening study, Galileo soon found his head belonged to Euclid and geometry, Much to his father censure, Galileo diverted from medicine and philosophy to apply the sciences of geometry to physics. Soon after, Galileo began teaching at University of Pisa, but for a measly 60 florins.
-gardenofpraise.com-
Galileo became a master of physics on Earth, having studied both water and air and their effects on motion, and started to apply his knowledge to celestial bodies. Even though Galileo grew up in the late 1500's, he is much more important once 1600 hits. Most of his work has taken place in this science-filled century.