Nicolaus Copernicus

Nicolaus Copernicus's great-grandfather received citizenship in Kraków in 1386, with the surname Kopernik tied to the village of Koperniki and possibly derived from the Polish word for 'dill' or the German word for 'copper'.

In 1453, Nicolaus Copernicus published his groundbreaking work 'De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium' (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres), which proposed a heliocentric model of the universe.

Nicolaus Copernicus, the astronomer who formulated the heliocentric model of the universe, was born in 1473.

On February 19, 1473, Nicolaus Copernicus, the influential astronomer and mathematician, was born. His work laid the foundation for modern astronomy and challenged the geocentric view of the universe.

Nicolaus Copernicus, the Polish astronomer, is born in Toruń, Poland (then Prussia).

In 1485, Nicolaus Copernicus became orphaned, facing a significant event in his early life that shaped his future endeavors.

In 1489, Lucas, possibly a significant figure in Nicolaus Copernicus' life, was made Bishop.

In March 1491, Nicolaus Copernicus developed his first interests in astronomy.

In the fall of 1495, Copernicus departed Kraków without completing his degree and went to the court of his uncle, Watzenrode, who was the Prince-Bishop of Warmia. This marked the beginning of a new chapter in Copernicus's life, as he embarked on a journey that would eventually lead to his groundbreaking astronomical discoveries.

In October 1496, Copernicus arrived in Bologna, possibly with the retinue of the chapter's chancellor. He signed himself into the register of the Bologna University of Jurists' 'German nation' a few months later.

On March 9, 1497, Copernicus conducted a memorable observation of the occultation of Aldebaran by the Moon in Bologna. This observation verified certain peculiarities in Ptolemy's theory of the Moon's motion.

After initially studying painting and mathematics at the University of Krakow, Nicolaus Copernicus began to develop an interest in Astronomy.

On October 20, 1497, Copernicus formally succeeded to the Warmia canonry by proxy, which had been granted to him two years earlier. He later added a sinecure at the Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross and St. Bartholomew in Wrocław.

Nicolaus Copernicus most likely used his first observation to check the new and full moon tables, which were used in the Novaras forecast.

In Rome during the jubilee year 1500, Copernicus observed a lunar eclipse on the night of 5–6 November 1500, continuing his astronomical work from Bologna.

Nicolaus Copernicus went back to school in 1501.

On January 10, 1503, Copernicus added a sinecure at the Collegiate Church of the Holy Cross and St. Bartholomew in Wrocław. This document was dated at Padua.

In Ferrara, on 31 May 1503, Copernicus was granted the degree of Doctor of Canon Law after passing examinations, marking a significant academic achievement.

In 1506, Nicolaus Copernicus started working as a canon in the bishopric of Frombork.

On November 29, 1508, Copernicus was granted a papal indult to receive further benefices. However, he did not acquire additional prebends and higher stations in his ecclesiastic career.

Nicolaus published Little Commentary, a pamphlet proposing the Earth revolves around the sun, known as the Heliocentric theory. The church opposed this idea.

In 1514, Nicolaus Copernicus developed his Heliocentric Theory after observing the sky, proposing that the Earth is not the center of the universe and that the Sun is near the center. He advocated for a shift from the geocentric to the heliocentric model.

In 1515, Copernicus made observations of Mars, Saturn, and the Sun, leading to the discovery of the variability of Earth's eccentricity and the movement of the solar apogee in relation to the fixed stars. These observations prompted his first revisions of certain assumptions of his system.

In 1516, Nicolaus Copernicus completed his work 'Commentariolus', which introduced a heliocentric model of the universe. Although not officially published, it circulated among scholars, presenting seven postulates that revolutionized the understanding of planetary motion.

In 1522, Copernicus begins writing his influential book 'De revolutionibus orbium coelestium' where he further elaborates on his heliocentric theory.

Nicolaus Copernicus finished his observations of the sky and applied them to mathematics to identify the structure of the universe. He completed his book 'De revolutionibus orbium coelestium' (The Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres) during this time, but chose not to publish it.

In 1533, Johann Widmanstetter explained Copernicus's heliocentric system to Pope Clement VII and two cardinals. The Pope was impressed and rewarded Widmanstetter. This event marked an important step in the acceptance and dissemination of Copernicus's revolutionary ideas.

In 1538, Copernicus relinquished the Wrocław sinecure despite having been granted a papal indult earlier. It is uncertain whether he was ever ordained a priest.

On October 30, 1541, when the Heliocentric hypothesis was published, Nicolaus Copernicus' name was not credited. Instead, Georg Rheticus claimed the fame for the hypothesis.

In 1542, Copernicus agreed to publish his book 'De revolutionibus' with the persuasion of mathematician Rheticus and publisher Petreius before his death. This publication of his radical idea greatly contributed to the field of astronomy and marked the beginning of the Scientific Revolution.

In 1543, Nicolaus Copernicus published his groundbreaking work proposing a heliocentric model of the universe, challenging the prevailing geocentric view. This theory placed the Sun at the center of the solar system, with the planets, including Earth, orbiting around it.

On April 11, 1543, Nicolaus Copernicus passed away.

Nicolaus Copernicus published his most significant work, 'De revolutionibus orbium coelestium' ('On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres'), just before his death on May 24, 1543. This work argued for the heliocentric model of the universe.

In 1551, eight years after Copernicus's death, astronomer Erasmus Reinhold published the Prussian Tables, based on Copernicus's work, under the sponsorship of Copernicus's former military adversary, the Protestant Duke Albert.

Copernicus's book was included in the scholarly curricula at the University of Salamanca in 1561, becoming one of the four textbooks that students of astronomy could choose from. It later became mandatory in 1594.

In a letter to a Catholic defender of Copernicus, Cardinal Robert Bellarmine condemns the heliocentric theory, stating that the sun revolves around the earth. He argues that this interpretation is supported by the Holy Fathers and various biblical passages.

In 1616, Copernicus' 'De revolutionibus' was put on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum.

On March 5, 1616, the Congregation of the Index issued a decree against Copernicanism, marking a significant event in the history of the controversy surrounding the heliocentric theory.

Established by the City of Kraków, this prize has been awarded since 1995 to individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields.

In August 2005, a team led by Jerzy Gąssowski discovered what they believed to be Copernicus's remains beneath Frombork Cathedral. The announcement of the discovery was made on November 3, 2008, after further research and forensic analysis.

On May 22, 2010, Copernicus was given a second funeral in a Mass led by Józef Kowalczyk, where his remains were reburied in Frombork Cathedral. A black granite tombstone now identifies him as the founder of the heliocentric theory.