Galileo Galilei, an Italian physicist, astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher, is considered the father of modern science. He was born on February 15, 1564, and died on January 8, 1642. Galileo made significant contributions to the fields of physics, astronomy, mathematics, and philosophy. He discovered the four moons of Jupiter through his telescope, supporting Copernicus' heliocentric model, and proposed the law of free fall and other scientific theories.