Leonardo da Vinci (modified)
Leonardo da Vinci was a man of "both" worlds. He was a master of both of art and science. Leonardo was a
painter, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, inventor, and scientist. He lived in what is called the
Renaissance period.
Leonardo da Vinci's self-portrait
Da Vinci was born in 1452 near the town of Vinci. He was a great artist, even as a kid. In his teenage years
Leonardo became an apprentice in one of the best studios in Italy. Leonardo stayed here until 1483, when he left
for Milan. In Milan he was asked by Lodovico Sforza to build a statue in honor of Sforza's father. The first
work that Leonardo finished in Milan was the Madonna of the Rocks.
Leonardo was also a great engineer and inventor. There were many times where Leonardo was asked by the
government to design state buildings or churches or to conceive of new weapons.
Not only was he a great inventor, Leonardo da Vinci was one of the greatest scientists ever to have lived. There
are a lot of scientific experiments that were recorded in his sketches. Leonardo, before his death, did many
drawings of the human body. There are detailed drawings of skeletons, muscle structures, and organ-systems.
The bodies he used in these drawings were often stolen from a nearby morgue.
Leonardo da Vinci died in 1519 while under the care of the French king, Francis I. Da Vinci was one of the
greatest people to ever have lived. He was a great man of the arts and the sciences. Leonardo da Vinci was a
man of both worlds.
Notes (modified):
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Painter, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, and scientist
Designed government buildings and churches
Was a great inventor. Invented many new weapons.
Did many drawings of the human body, skeletons, muscles, and organs
Leonardo da Vinci
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Occupation: Artist, Inventor, Scientist
Born: April 15, 1452 in Vinci, Italy
Died: May 2, 1519 in Amboise, Kingdom of France
Famous works: Mona Lisa, The Last Supper, The Vitruvian Man
Style/Period: High Renaissance
Biography:
Leonardo da Vinci was an artist, scientist, and inventor during the Italian Renaissance. He is considered by
many to be one of the most talented and intelligent people of all time. The term Renaissance Man (someone
who does many things very well) was coined from Leonardo's many talents and is today used to describe people
who resemble da Vinci.
Where was Leonardo da Vinci born?
Leonardo was born in the town of Vinci, Italy on April 15, 1452. Not much is known about his childhood other
than his father was wealthy and had a number of wives. About the age of 14 he became an apprentice to a
famous artist named Verrocchio. This is where he learned about art, drawing, painting and more.
Leonardo the Artist
Leonardo da Vinci is regarded as one of the greatest artists in history. Leonardo excelled in many areas including
drawing, painting, and sculpture. Although we don't have a lot of his paintings today, he is probably most famous for his
paintings and also gained great fame during his own time due to his paintings. Two of his most famous paintings, and
perhaps two of the most famous in the world, include the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper
Leonardo's drawings are also quite extraordinary. He would keep journals full of drawings and sketches, often of
different subjects that he was studying. Some of his drawings were previews to later paintings, some were studies of
anatomy, some were closer to scientific sketches. One famous drawing is the Vitruvian Man drawing. It is a picture of
man who has perfect proportions based off the notes from the Roman architect Vitruvius. Other famous drawings
include a design for a flying machine and a self portrait.
Leonardo the Inventor and Scientist
Many of da Vinci's drawings and journals were made in his pursuit of scientific knowledge and inventions. His journals
were filled with over 13,000 pages of his observations of the world. He drew pictures and designs of hang gliders,
helicopters, war machines, musical instruments, various pumps, and more. He was interested in civil engineering
projects and designed a single span bridge, a way to divert the Arno River, and moveable barricades which would help
protect a city in the case of attack.
Many of his drawings were on the subject of anatomy. He studied the human body including many drawings on muscles,
tendons, and the human skeleton. He had detailed figures of various parts of the body including the heart, arms, and
other internal organs. Leonardo didn't just study the human anatomy either. He also had a strong interest in horses as
well as cows, frogs, monkeys, and other animals.
Fun Facts about Leonardo da Vinci
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The term Renaissance Man means someone who is good at everything. Leonardo is considered to be the
ultimate Renaissance man.
Some people claim he invented the bicycle.
He was very logical and used a process like the scientific method when investigating a subject.
His Vitruvian man is on the Italian Euro coin.
Only around 15 of his paintings are still around.
The Mona Lisa is also called "La Giaconda" meaning the laughing one.
Unlike some artists, Leonardo was very famous for his paintings while he was still alive. It's only recently that
we've realized what a great scientist and inventor he was.
Galileo Galilei
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Occupation: Scientist, mathematician, and Astronomer
Born: February 15, 1564 in Pisa, Italy
Died: January 8, 1642 Tuscany, Italy
Best known for: Improving the telescope to be used to study the planets and stars
Biography:
Early Life
Galileo was born in Pisa, Italy where he grew up with his brothers and sisters during the Italian Renaissance. His father was a music
teacher and a famous musician. His family moved to the city of Florence when he was ten years old. It was in Florence that Galileo
began his education at the Camaldolese monastery.
Galileo was an accomplished musician and an excellent student. At first he wanted to become a doctor, so he went to the University
of Pisa to study medicine in 1581.
A Budding Scientist
While at university, Galileo became interested in physics and mathematics. One of his first scientific observations was with a lamp
hanging from the ceiling in the cathedral. He noticed that despite how far the lamp swung, it took the same amount of time to swing
back and forth. This observation didn't agree with the common scientific principals of the day.
In 1585, Galileo left the university and got a job as a teacher. He began to experiment with pendulums, levers, balls, and other
objects. He tried to describe how they moved using mathematic equations. He even invented an advanced measuring device called
the hydrostatic balance.
The Scientific Method
During the time of Galileo, there weren't really "scientists" as we know them today. People studied the works of the classical
philosophers and thinkers such as Aristotle. They didn't run experiments or test out the ideas. They just believed them to be true.
Galileo, however, had different ideas. He wanted to test the principals and see if he could observe them in the real world. This was a
new concept to the people of his time and laid the foundation for the scientific method.
Tower of Pisa Experiment
One of the traditional beliefs was that if you dropped two items of different weights, but the same size and shape, the heavier item
would land first. Galileo tested this idea by going to the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. He dropped two balls of the same size, but
different weights. They landed at the same time!
Galileo's experiments made some people angry, however. They didn't want the traditional views to be questioned. In 1592, Galileo
moved from Pisa to the University of Padua, where he was permitted to experiment and discuss new ideas.
Copernicus
Copernicus was an astronomer who lived in the early 1500s. He came up with the idea that the Sun was the center of the universe.
This was very different from the current belief that the Earth was the center. Galileo began to study Copernicus' work and felt that
his observations of the planets supported the view that the Sun was the center. This view was highly controversial.
Telescope
In 1609, Galileo heard of an invention from Holland called the telescope that could make far away items appear much closer. He
decided to build his own telescope. He made great improvements to the telescope and began to use it view the planets. Soon
Galileo's version of the telescope was used throughout Europe.
Astronomer
Galileo made many discoveries using his telescope including the four large moons around Jupiter and the phases of the planet
Venus. He also discovered sunspots and learned that the Moon was not smooth, but was covered with craters.
Prison
As Galileo studied the planets and the Sun, he became convinced that the Earth and the other planets orbited the Sun. In 1632, he
wrote a book called the Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems. In this book he described why he thought the Earth
orbited the Sun. However, the powerful Catholic Church considered Galileo's ideas as heresy. At first they sentenced him to life in
prison, but later allowed him to live at his home in Tuscany under house arrest.
Death
Galileo continued to write while under house arrest. In his later years he became blind. He died on January 8, 1642.
Interesting Facts about Galileo
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Galileo published the first scientific paper based on observations made through a telescope in 1610. It was called The Starry
Messenger.
In later years, the Catholic Church changed their views on Galileo and stated that they regretted how he was treated.
Galileo noticed that the planet Saturn wasn't round. It was later discovered that Saturn had rings.
A year before his death he came up with a pendulum design used for keeping time.
He once said that "The Sun, with all those planets revolving around it…can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing
else in the universe to do."
William Shakespeare
Biography
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Occupation: Playwright, actor and poet
Born: April 26, 1564 baptized in Stratford-upon-Avon, England (likely born on April 23rd)
Died: April 23, 1616 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England
Best known for: Writing plays such as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and Macbeth
Biography:
Early Life
Very little is known about William Shakespeare's childhood. He was born in the English city of Stratford-upon-Avon about 100 miles
northwest of London in 1564. William's father was a successful leather merchant who once held the public position of alderman. He
was the third of six children including two older sisters and three younger brothers.
Growing up in Stratford-upon-Avon William lived in a house with his big family on Henley Street. He went to the local grammar
school where he learned about poetry, history, Greek, and Latin.
When William turned eighteen he married Anne Hathaway. Anne was eight years older than William. They soon had a family
including a daughter named Susanna and twins named Hamnet and Judith.
London and the Lost Years
After William and Anne had the twins, there are no records of the next several years of his life. Historians often refer to these years
as the "lost years." There are lots of theories and stories about what William was doing during this time. In any event, he and his
family eventually ended up in London where William was working at the theatre.
Lord Chamberlain's Men
William was part of an acting company called Lord Chamberlain's Men. An acting company in England at this time worked together
to put on plays. There were typically around ten actors in a company including a lead actor, character actors, and some comedians.
Young boys typically played women's roles as women were not allowed to act.
Early Plays
Shakespeare wrote plays for the Lord Chamberlain's Men. He worked as an actor as well. His plays became very popular in London
and soon the Lord Chamberlain's Men were one of the most popular acting companies in the city. Some of Shakespeare's early plays
include The Taming of the Shrew, Richard III, Romeo and Juliet, and A Midsummer Night's Dream.
The Theater Shuts Down
These early plays were put on at a theater called the "Theatre". While Lord Chamberlain's Men owned the Theatre, the land was
owned by Giles Allen. In 1597 Allen decided he wanted to tear the Theatre down. He locked it up and refused to let the actors
perform. They tried to renegotiate the lease on the land, but Allen again refused.
One night, several members of the company dismantled the Theatre and moved the timber across the Thames River to another
spot. There they built a new theatre called the Globe Theatre.
The Globe Theatre
The Globe Theatre became the place to be in London. It could house up to 3,000 spectators and had a uniquely designed stage with
a painted ceiling, columns, and stage wall. They had specially trained musicians who made special effects noises during the plays.
They even had a cannon that fired blanks.
Later Plays
Many of Shakespeare's greatest plays were written in the last half of his career. These included Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and
Macbeth. His success in the theatre, as well as his investments in land and the Globe, made Shakespeare a wealthy man. He
purchased a large home in Stratford for his family called New Place.
Poetry
Shakespeare also became famous for his poetry. His most famous poem of the time was Venus and Adonis. He also wrote poems
called sonnets. A book of 154 of Shakespeare's sonnets was published in 1609.
Death
William retired to his home in Stratford and died on his fifty-second birthday.
Legacy
Shakespeare is considered by many to be the greatest writer of the English language. He is also one of the most influential. Through
his works, he is credited with introducing nearly 3,000 words to the English language. In addition, his works are the second most
often quoted after the Bible.
Interesting Facts about William Shakespeare
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The lead actor and star of many of Shakespeare's plays was Richard Burbage.
The original Globe Theatre burned down in 1613. It was rebuilt in 1614, but was then closed in 1642.
A modern reconstruction of the Globe was built in London by American actor Sam Wanamaker. It opened in 1997.
He wrote 37 plays in his lifetime averaging about 1.5 plays per year he was writing. Some scholars think that he wrote
around 20 more plays that have been lost, which would put the total to 57!
His plays were performed for both Queen Elizabeth I and King James I.
You can take the letters from "William Shakespeare" and write "I am a weakish speller."
Johannes Gutenberg
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Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press. While this may not sound like a big deal at first, the printing
press is often considered as the most important invention in modern times. Think about how important
information is today. Without books and computers you wouldn't be able to learn, to pass on information, or to
share scientific discoveries. Prior to Gutenberg inventing the printing press, making a book was a laborious
process. It wasn't that hard to write a letter to one person by hand, but to create thousands of books for many
people to read was nearly impossible. Without the printing press we wouldn't have had the Scientific Revolution
or the Renaissance. Our world would be very different.
Where did Johannes Gutenberg grow up?
Johannes was born in Mainz, Germany around the year 1398. He was the son of a Goldsmith. Not a whole lot
more is known about his childhood. It appears he moved a few times around Germany, but that's about all is
known for sure.
What did Gutenberg invent?
Gutenberg took some existing technologies and some of his own inventions to come up with the printing press in the
year 1450. One key idea he came up with was moveable type. Rather than use wooden blocks to press ink onto paper,
Gutenberg used moveable metal pieces to quickly create pages. He made innovations all the way through the printing
process enabling pages to be printed much more rapidly. His presses could print 1000's of pages per day vs. 40-50 with
the old method. This was a dramatic improvement and allowed books to be acquired by the middle class and spread
knowledge and education like never before. The invention of the printing press spread rapidly throughout Europe and
soon thousands of books were being printed on printing presses.
What books were first printed by the Gutenberg press?
It's thought that the first printed item from the press was a German poem. Other prints included Latin Grammars and
indulgences for the Catholic Church. Gutenberg's real fame came from producing the Gutenberg Bible. It was the first
time a Bible was mass produced and available for anyone outside of the church. Bibles were rare and could take up to a
year for a priest to transcribe. Gutenberg printed around 200 of these in a relatively short time.
Fun Facts about Gutenberg
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In 1462 he was exiled from Mainz. However, things turned around for him and in 1465 he was given a fancy title,
a yearly salary, and more as a reward for his invention.
The original Bible sold for 30 florins. This was a lot of money back then for a commoner, but much, much
cheaper than a hand written version.
There are around 21 complete Gutenberg Bibles existing still today. One of these Bibles is likely worth around
$30 million.