Galileo Galilei was born in Pisa, Italy in 1564 and studied medicine, mathematics, astronomy and physics at the University of Pisa. He is renowned for his improvements to the telescope which allowed him to make discoveries in space that supported the Copernican theory, placing the Sun at the center of the universe, which brought him into conflict with the Catholic Church. Galileo was a pioneer in the use of the scientific method through his emphasis on mathematics, experimentation, and observation to further scientific discoveries and understanding.