Galileo probably never dropped balls from the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

1589 · 1633 · apart: 44 years

Only his pupil Viviani told the story, decades later; Galileo himself never describes it, so it was likely a thought experiment.

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The event

• Trial of Galileo1633 · Rome. In 1633 the Inquisition condemned Galileo for defending Copernicus, and he publicly recanted. The defiant 'And yet it moves!' he supposedly muttered first appeared in print only in 1757.

16th century · 17th century

More amazing facts

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• 1586 · 1589 Galileo probably never did his famous Leaning Tower experiment.
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