Born on 15 February 1564 in Pisa, Italy. Galileo’s early education was at the Camaldolese Monastery in Vallombrosa (“Galileo Galilei” 2006).
Galileo first studied medicine at the university of Pisa from 1581- 1585. However, he dropped out before earning his undergraduate degree.
After leaving the university of Pisa, Galileo taught mathematics in Florence and Siena (“Galileo Galilei” 2006). In 1586, he taught at Vallombrosa and during this time, wrote his first book The Little Balance (La Bilancetta). Galileo became the patronage of Guidobuldo del Monte during this time (Helden 2021).
His patronage and growing reputation among mathematicians, due to the important theorems on centers of gravity he developed, led him to acquiring the position of professor of mathematics at the University of Pisa in 1589 (Helden 2021). He wrote On Motion (De Motu) in 1590 while employed by the university of Pisa. Galileo taught in Pisa until 1592, when he earned a professorship of mathematics at the University of Padua. The university of Padua was one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious schools. He worked at the University of Padua until 1610. In 1610, he moved to Florence where he had gotten a job in the Court of the Medici family.