Heidi WhiteHistory 101 honorsSemester projectGalileoBackground and resultsGalileo is considered the father of modern science, as Stephen Hawking stated "Galileo, perhaps more than any other single person, was responsible for the birth of modern science" . Galileo was born on 15 February 1564 in Pisa. Galileo was the eldest of seven children. Galileo's father was a musician. Galileo's family moved to Florence in 1572. Galileo is said to have wanted to become both a painter and a monk, but was dissuaded by his father who thought he should obtain a medical degree. Galileo studied medicine at the University of Padua but decided to devote himself to mathematics instead. “If I had to start my studies again I would follow Plato's advice and start with mathematics” ~Galileo Galilei. He was subsequently appointed in 1589 to the chair of mathematics in Pisa. He also became a mathematician at the University of Padua in 1592. In Padua he met Marina Gamba with whom he had three illegitimate children; Virginia in 1600, Livia in 1601 and Vincenzo in 1606. Both of his daughters later became nuns. Galileo invented a thermometer in 1593, a compass in 1597, a telescope in 1609, a compound microscope in 1609, and the pendulum clock in 1641. Among all his achievements, Galileo's most notable achievement was the improvement of the "telescope". telescope, in 1609. Galileo set up a telescope on his rooftop in Padua and made some incredible observations. He was able to see the moons of Jupiter, the phases of Venus, sunspots and the surface of the moon. He published Il Messaggero Stellato in 1610, Letters on sunspots in 1613 and was appointed mathematician and philosopher to the Grand Duke of Tuscany. In 1610 the majority of Galil... half of the paper ...... played a role because new things were continually discovered.House ArrestAfter the trial, Galileo spent the rest of his life under house arrest. Galileo finished his book, Discourses and Mathematical Demonstrations Concerning Two New Sciences, which was smuggled out of Italy and did not mention Copernicanism. His book was later published in Holland in 1638 by Louis Elzivier. Galileo admitted that he was amazed by its publication. Galileo also made contributions to mechanics and studied motion. He eventually lost his sight and became blind. Even though he was blind, Galileo made the pendulum clock in 1641. Galileo died on January 8, 1642 and was buried in the basement of a church until 1737. Galileo was constantly searching for the truth. Perhaps what helped Galileo the most was his willingness and desire to explore new ideas and options in a very narrow-minded world.