Nicholas Copernicus was born on February 19, 1473 in Thorn, Poland (today known as Torun), to a merchant father who was also a local official. When he was ten years old, Copernicus' father died and he was sent to live with his uncle who was then a priest. In 1491, at the age of 18, Copernicus entered the Krakow Academy as a student. In 1496, Copernicus then went to Italy and studied law at the University of Bologna. During his time at the University of Bologna, Copernicus lived with Domenico Maria de Novara, a professor of mathematics who encouraged him to study geography and astronomy. Additionally, throughout his stay in Italy, Copernicus traveled to Rome and studied at the universities of Padua and Ferrara. Then in 1503, Copernicus returned to Poland and worked as a secretary for his uncle, now Bishop of Ermland. When his uncle died in 1512, Copernicus moved to Frauenberg and worked for the church. While working at the church, Copernicus studied astronomy and in 1514, as the Catholic church sought to improve the calendar, Copernicus was asked to help. Copernicus' education helped shape his interests in science, particularly astronomy. Copernicus is known for establishing the heliocentric theory, which replaced the previously accepted geocentric model. However, before Copernicus, other thinkers such as Aristarchus as well as later thinkers such as Galileo developed a similar theory. Although it is not clear who established the heliocentric model, Copernicus had a major impact on our modern sciences. Astronomical theories are known as pre-Copernican. Before Copernicus, the widely accepted astronomical theory was known as the geocentric model and was the theory that the earth is the center of the universe...... middle of paper ...... ideas of thinkers for establishing the heliocentric model thus making his idea similar to others. Copernicus had hesitated for years to publish his theory, not because he feared he had contradicted the Catholic Church, but rather because he believed, even after working on it for three decades, that his theory was still incomplete. . died of a cerebral hemorrhage on May 24, 1543. His manuscripts caused numerous controversies between European sciences and religion. Copernicus was the first to combine physics, astronomy and mathematics into a factual model of the universe. Copernicus had a major impact on our modern sciences. Copernicus not only challenged the widely accepted belief of a geocentric model, but also developed the heliocentric model which revolutionized the way people thought about the layout of our solar system and universe..