Archimedes was a Greek mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, and astronomer born in 287 BC in Syracuse, Sicily. Some of his key contributions included discovering the principles of buoyancy and developing formulas for calculating the volumes and surfaces of solids. He also invented military devices including the Archimedes screw pump and Archimedes' claw, which he created to defend Syracuse during the Second Punic War. Archimedes made significant advances in geometry and discovered the exact value of pi. He was killed during the Siege of Syracuse when a Roman soldier failed to recognize his genius.

1. By: MaryKate MacDonald Archimedes, 6 October 2010 http:// www.thedailymind.com