4th+Period+-+Copernicus

=4th Period - Copernicus= By: Timothy C.

{Nicolaus Copernicus}

Date of birth: February 18, 1473

Location of birth: Thorn, Poland

Parents’ names: Mom - Barbra Watzenrode Koppernigk Dad - Nicolaus Koppernigk

Family background: Nicolaus Copernicus grew up in the Middle Ages on into the Renaissance. Nicolaus [son] is the son of a wealthy family. He has three siblings: Andreas, Barbra [daughter], and Catherina. Nicolaus [dad] buys and sells copper and Barbra [mother] has wealthy parents. Nicolaus [dad] was a judge, a banker and is a part of town council. He and his family lived on St. Anne Street in a brick house that was given to them by Barbra's [mother] dad Bishop Lucas. Nicolaus [son] was currently training himself to defend his country if needed. Later on in his life Barbra [daughter] became a nun and Catherina became the wife of a merchant. Sadly tho, Nicolaus [father] died at the age of 63 which was considered to be an old age during their time.

Date of death: May 24, 1543

Location of death/grave: Frombork, Poland

Education: Nicolaus [son] graduated from the university of Krakow (liberal arts and astronomy), Bologna (canon law), Padua (medicine), and Ferrara (doctor of canon law). He was sent to go to Krakow by Watzenrode [father of Barbra] [daughter] who was guardian over his family at that time because, he wanted his grandchildren to go to the best universities possible. During this time period, only men could go to Poland to learn. While learning in his classes, Nicolaus changed his last name from Koppernigk to Copernicus because the most common language that he was learning and was getting used to was Latin. The oddest thing about class back then was that there were no desks so students had to sit on the floor or sometimes on benches.

{Copernicus' Sun-Centered Theory}

Career: Copernicus became a minor official for a job and then he started studying mathematics and astronomy. He also studied to become a doctor. Nicolaus became a canon for the church in October 1497, during the time that Barbra's [mom] dad became guardian over them. In the later years that came, Copernicus became a bishop secretary for his uncle and he had to take care of his uncle for a few years afterward. When his brother Andreas caught leprosy, Nicolaus took care of him until Andreas didn't want him to help him anymore. Copernicus once again became a canon and while as a canon he had the responsibility of being a map-maker, a bursar [a treasurer] and a chancellor [ ]. While doing this he found time to help fix the Julian calendar and he joined in repairing Frombork after it was attacked.

Legacy: Nicolaus was famous for creating a different outlook on the universe. He also changed astronomy forever. Copernicus came up with a sun-centered universe theory and a detailed diagram. He found a way to measure the moon. Nicolaus published his own book called "On the Revelations" that explains and shows his sun-centered theory and how he came to those conclusions. Most of all Nicolaus Copernicus' discovery changed the scientific revolution for others to come.

Additional/Interesting information: Nicolaus published his first book called, "A Latin translation of the Greek letters of the seventh- century writer Theophylactus, that was the only Greek to Latin book published in Poland. He completed and published his second book called, "On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres. On November 6th 1500, Nicolaus saw a lunar eclipse with a telescope. While being a canon, Copernicus' job was to make maps and he made a map so good that others tried to take it from him! Even tho Nicolaus made good maps, he could not stop the hemorrhage that he was suffering from and he eventually died at the age of seventy. Sources Cited (Copernicus – 4th Period)

Return to 4th Period Scientists Page Return to 4th Period Renaissance Personalities Page