Johannes Kepler’s Biography

Johannes Kepler is a 17th century German mathematician and scientist. He is known for his laws of planetary motion which are referred to as Kepler’s Laws. He is one of those who introduced modern astronomy to the world of science.

Johannes Kepler was born in Weil der Stadt, Swabia, Germany on December 27, 1571. His father, Heinrich Kepler, was a mercenary soldier and he left his family when Johannes Kepler was still around five years old. His mother, Katharina Guldenmann, was an innkeeper’s daughter. Johannes Kepler lived with his mother in his grandfather’s inn and he had impressed inn lodgers with his extraordinary mathematical skills. Although Johannes Kepler was born as a sickly child, he still grew up as an intelligent child.

Johannes Kepler had the privilege to observe the Great Comet of 1577. In 1580, he witnessed a lunar eclipse. These incidents had triggered his interest in the field of astronomy. He studied in a local grammar school and then in a seminary before he got admitted to study philosophy at the University of Tübingen in 1589. Johannes Kepler excelled in mathematics and it was Michael Mästlin, his astronomy teacher, who introduced and taught to him the Ptolemaic system and Copernicus’ heliocentric cosmological system. These systems of advanced astronomy were only taught by Michael Mästlin to a chosen few under him. He accepted the Copernican system as true. In April 1594, he got the position as mathematics teacher in Graz, Austria. His first major publication was in defense to the Copernican system.

Johannes Kepler was a religious man and he believed that God created nature with numerical relationships. It was his association with the authorities in the University of Tübingen that compromised his religious beliefs and this made him excommunicated in 1612. It was even Michael Mästlin who kept him from being ordained by persuading him to be a post mathematics teacher in Graz.

In Prague, Johannes Kepler became an assistant to a famous astrologer, Tycho Brahe. In 1601, Tycho Brahe died and Johannes Kepler replaced his position. Being in charge of Brahe’s studies collections, Johannes Kepler was able to devise his theory about the planets’ orbits and this eventually led to his statements and laws. He had also worked as a mathematician to Rudolph II who was a Roman Emperor.

Johannes Kepler was married to Barbara Müller on April 27, 1597. They had two children named Heinrich and Susanna who died in their infancy but they had one daughter and two sons who survived to grow up whose names were Susanna, Friedrich, and Ludwig. His son Ludwig died after acquiring smallpox and it was not long before his wife Barbara died of illness. On October 30, 1613, he was married to Susanna Reuttinger who was the fifth of his eleven prospects. Among his children with Susanna, three died in childhood and three whose names were Cordula, Fridmar, and Hildebert survived to adulthood.

Johannes Kepler spent his last years travelling over Europe until he came to Regensburg and became ill. He died on November 15, 1630 leaving the world of science his laws and theories that made him a figure of change in the history of science and astronomy.

Johannes Kepler is a 17th century German mathematician and scientist. He is known for his laws of planetary motion which are referred to as Kepler’s Laws. He is one of those who introduced modern astronomy to the world of science.

Johannes Kepler was born in Weil der Stadt, Swabia, Germany on December 27, 1571. His father, Heinrich Kepler, was a mercenary soldier and he left his family when Johannes Kepler was still around five years old. His mother, Katharina Guldenmann, was an innkeeper’s daughter. Johannes Kepler lived with his mother in his grandfather’s inn and he had impressed inn lodgers with his extraordinary mathematical skills. Although Johannes Kepler was born as a sickly child, he still grew up as an intelligent child.

Johannes Kepler had the privilege to observe the Great Comet of 1577. In 1580, he witnessed a lunar eclipse. These incidents had triggered his interest in the field of astronomy. He studied in a local grammar school and then in a seminary before he got admitted to study philosophy at the University of Tübingen in 1589. Johannes Kepler excelled in mathematics and it was Michael Mästlin, his astronomy teacher, who introduced and taught to him the Ptolemaic system and Copernicus’ heliocentric cosmological system. These systems of advanced astronomy were only taught by Michael Mästlin to a chosen few under him. He accepted the Copernican system as true. In April 1594, he got the position as mathematics teacher in Graz, Austria. His first major publication was in defense to the Copernican system.

Johannes Kepler was a religious man and he believed that God created nature with numerical relationships. It was his association with the authorities in the University of Tübingen that compromised his religious beliefs and this made him excommunicated in 1612. It was even Michael Mästlin who kept him from being ordained by persuading him to be a post mathematics teacher in Graz.

In Prague, Johannes Kepler became an assistant to a famous astrologer, Tycho Brahe. In 1601, Tycho Brahe died and Johannes Kepler replaced his position. Being in charge of Brahe’s studies collections, Johannes Kepler was able to devise his theory about the planets’ orbits and this eventually led to his statements and laws. He had also worked as a mathematician to Rudolph II who was a Roman Emperor.

Johannes Kepler was married to Barbara Müller on April 27, 1597. They had two children named Heinrich and Susanna who died in their infancy but they had one daughter and two sons who survived to grow up whose names were Susanna, Friedrich, and Ludwig. His son Ludwig died after acquiring smallpox and it was not long before his wife Barbara died of illness. On October 30, 1613, he was married to Susanna Reuttinger who was the fifth of his eleven prospects. Among his children with Susanna, three died in childhood and three whose names were Cordula, Fridmar, and Hildebert survived to adulthood.

Johannes Kepler spent his last years travelling over Europe until he came to Regensburg and became ill. He died on November 15, 1630 leaving the world of science his laws and theories that made him a figure of change in the history of science and astronomy.