Pope Paul V

Pope Paul V, born Camillo Borghese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 16 May 1605 to his death, in January 1621. In 1611, he honored Galileo Galilei as a member of the papal Accademia dei Lincei and supported his discoveries. In 1616, Pope Paul V instructed Cardinal Robert Bellarmine to inform Galileo that the Copernican theory could not be taught as fact, but Bellarmine's certificate allowed Galileo to continue his studies in search for evidence and use the geocentric model as a theoretical device. That same year Paul V assured Galileo that he was safe from persecution so long as he, the Pope, should live. Bellarmine's certificate was used by Galileo for his defense at the trial of 1633.

17 September 1550

Born on the same birth day (17 September): Agostinho Neto • Bernhard Riemann • Brendan Oake • Jack McDuff • Jaimee Fourlis • John Kucera • Keith Flint • Robert Graysmith • Samuel Ogbemudia • Shawn Horcoff • Vincenzo Tommasini • William Grut

Born in the same month (September 1550): Alonso de Guzmán y Sotomayor, 7th Duke of Medina Sidonia • Michael Maestlin