552nd anniversary of the birth of Nicolaus Copernicus

He was born in Toruń on February 19, 1473 as the son of Nicolaus Copernicus Senior and Barbara Watzenrode, and one of four siblings. After the death of both parents, he was raised and educated by his mother’s brother, Bishop Łukasz Watzenrode. He began his spiritual education at the parish school, then continued his studies in Chełm. From 1491 to 1495, he began studying science and art at the Kraków Academy, where he considered reforming the Ptolemaic system of the universe. In October 1496, he began his education abroad. First, he attended the University of Bologna, where he studied canon and Roman law. He was promoted to Doctor of Law by the University of Ferrara on May 30, 1503. Meanwhile, in 1501, he began three years of medical studies at the University of Padua, a renowned center for anatomical and surgical research. From 1503 to 1510, he supported his uncle in the Lidzbark canonry while working both as a physician and a Doctor of Law. During this time, he also conducted scientific research, including creating maps and drafting the first outline of the heliocentric theory (1509).From 1516, he settled in Olsztyn as the administrator of the Warmian Cathedral chapter’s estates, overseeing church properties, managing the peasants’ orchards, and playing an important role in the Polish Kingdom’s war against the Teutonic Order from 1520 to 1525.
Copernicus spent his final years in Frombork, where he continued working in various roles. He published his lifetime work, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, in 1543. He died at home on May 21, 1543.