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Galileo was born on February 15, 1564 in Pisa, Italy. He was the oldest of five siblings. His father was Vincenzo Galilei, who was a musician. In 1574, the Galileo family moved to Florence.
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During one of his trips to Venice, Galileo met a young woman named Marina Gamba. They had two daughters, Virginia and Livia , and a son, Vincenzo.
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Galileo, though not the first inventor of the refracting telescope, significantly enhanced its power. In 1609, he learned of the spyglass and began to experiment with telescope-making, grinding and polishing his own lenses. His telescope allowed him to see with a magnification of eight or nine times, making it possible to see that the Moon had mountains and that Jupiter had satellites.
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He proves that the Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun.
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Responding to mounting controversy over theology, astronomy and philosophy, the Roman Inquisition tried Galileo in 1633 and found him "vehemently suspect of heresy", sentencing him to indefinite imprisonment. He lived under the house arrest until his death
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The cause of his blindness is unknown
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He died on January 8, 1642 in Florence and he was buried beside his father in the family tomb in the Basilica of Santa Croce.
