Galileo: the Wrangler

Back on February 15, 1564, was born the first child of Vincenzo Galilei (a famous Italian music theorist). Today that child is known as Galileo Galileo, who grew up to be a physicist, mathematician and astronomer. He played major role in the field of scientific revolution and he is often called the father of modern observational astronomy. His achievements include the improvements to the telescope and consequent astronomical observations and support for Copernicanism.
Galileo had worked out the telescopic confirmation of the phases of Venus, discovered the four largest satellites of Jupiter, and made observation and analysis of sunspots. He had also worked in applied science and technology, inventing an improved military compass and other instruments. His supporting of heliocentrism was controversial within his lifetime, when most subscribed to either geocentrism. When Galileo was under house arrest he wrote one of his finest works, Two New Sciences, in which he reviewed the work he had done some forty years earlier, on the two sciences now called kinematics and strength of materials.
"Galileo was always making himself unpopular with influential people, for he had a brilliant and caustic wit and he could not resist using that wit to make jackasses -- and therefore bitter enemies -- of those who disagreed with him. Even as a college student, he had been nicknamed "the wrangler" because of his argumentativeness." ~ Issac Asimov (American author and professor of Biochemist).
Galileo took his last breath on January 08, 1642 at age 77.