Fibonacci was an Italian mathematician born in Pisa in 1170. He is most famous for introducing the Fibonacci sequence to Western European mathematics in his 1202 book Liber Abaci. The Fibonacci sequence starts with 1, 1, and then each subsequent number is the sum of the previous two numbers. This sequence appears frequently in nature, such as the spiral pattern of seed heads, pinecones, and shells. Fibonacci made other significant contributions through his books including introducing Arabic numerals to Europe and applying mathematics to accounting, commerce, and geometry problems. He has had a lasting legacy as one of the most important mathematicians of the Middle Ages.