COPERNICUS

BACKGROUND

• Born in 1473 in Toruń
• Father was a merchant and mother was the daughter of a wealthy merchant
• After the death of his father, Copernicus' uncle made sure he was schooled properly
• He was sent to St. John's School in Toruń, he eventually attended the University of Krakow
• He died in 1543

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• He came up with the idea that the planets revolve around the sun
• He published a book called De Revolutions
• He was the first to doubt earth was the center of the universe
• He said that earth rotated on its axis once daily

IMPACT

• His ideas shaped modern astronomy
• Without him we wouldn't know everything we know today
• Basic things like planets rotate around the sun and the earth rotating on its axis came from him