Nicolaus Copernicus was born on February 19, 1473, in Thorn (now Toruń), Poland.¹⁾

He came from a wealthy family of merchants and was the youngest of four children.²⁾

Copernicus's full name was Nicolaus Copernicus von Thorn, as he was of German descent.³⁾

He studied various subjects, including mathematics, astronomy, and canon law, at the University of Cracow and later in Italy at the University of Bologna and the University of Padua.⁴⁾

Copernicus was a skilled mathematician and astronomer, but he also worked as a physician and church administrator.⁵⁾

He developed the heliocentric model of the solar system, which suggested that the Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun, challenging the geocentric model, where Earth was considered the center of the universe.⁶⁾

His groundbreaking work, “De revolutionibus orbium coelestium” (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres), which outlined the heliocentric theory, was published in 1543, just before his death.⁷⁾

Copernicus's heliocentric theory laid the foundation for modern astronomy and revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos.⁸⁾

Contrary to popular belief, Copernicus did not face severe persecution for his heliocentric theory during his lifetime. However, it did spark debates and controversies among scholars.⁹⁾

He worked on his heliocentric model for several decades in relative secrecy, fearing the backlash from the church and conservative scholars.¹⁰⁾

Copernicus was a polymath and also made significant contributions to economics, medicine, and military strategy.¹¹⁾

He was fluent in Latin, Greek, and German, and he wrote many of his works in Latin.¹²⁾

Copernicus worked as a church canon in Frombork Cathedral, which allowed him time to pursue his astronomical studies.¹³⁾

He observed the planets and stars using simple instruments like quadrants and astrolabes.¹⁴⁾

Copernicus accurately calculated the length of a year to within 10 minutes of the modern value.¹⁵⁾