Born: 15 February 1564 · Died: 8 January 1642 · Age at death: 77
How old was Galileo Galilei when he died?
Galileo Galilei died aged 77. He was born on 15 February 1564 and died on 8 January 1642.
Italian astronomer and physicist who discovered Jupiter's four largest moons, championed a Sun-centred universe and was tried by the Inquisition
Did you know?He spent the final years of his life under house arrest for supporting the theory that the Earth orbits the Sun.
Quick facts
Date of birth15 February 1564
Date of death8 January 1642
Age at death77
NationalityItalian
BirthplacePisa, Italy
Occupationastronomer, philosopher, mathematician
Editor's Take:
Galileo Galilei is often called the father of modern science because he insisted on testing ideas against observation and experiment. When he turned an improved telescope to the night sky in 1609, he saw mountains on the Moon, the phases of Venus and four moons circling Jupiter, evidence that not everything revolved around the Earth. His support for the idea that the Earth orbits the Sun brought him into conflict with the Catholic Church, and in 1633 he was forced to recant and spent his last years under house arrest. The Church formally acknowledged its error more than 350 years later. His story remains a lasting symbol of the struggle between evidence and authority.
Key Milestones
1589: Becomes professor of mathematics at Pisa
1609: Builds his own telescope
1610: Discovers Jupiter's four largest moons
1632: Publishes the Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems
1633: Tried by the Inquisition and placed under house arrest
1638: Publishes Two New Sciences
Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642), commonly referred to as Galileo Galilei or mononymously as Galileo, was an Italian astronomer, physicist, engineer and polymath. He was born in Pisa, then part of the Duchy of Florence.
Galileo Galilei's birthday is February 15. He was born on February 15, 1564 in Pisa, Italy.
How old was Galileo Galilei when he died?
Galileo Galilei died on January 8, 1642, aged 77.
Who shares a birthday with Galileo Galilei?
Famous people who share Galileo Galilei's February 15 birthday include Jeremy Bentham, Louis XV of France, Alfred North Whitehead, Susan B. Anthony and Charles Édouard Guillaume.
