Leonardo da Vinci was one of the greatest inventor-scientist of recorded history. His genius was unbounded by time and

technology, and was driven by his insatiable curiosity, and his intuitive sense of the laws of nature.

Da Vinci was dedicated to discovery of truth and the mysteries of nature, and his insightful contributions to science and

technology were legendary. As the archetypical Renaissance man, Leonardo helped set an ignorant and superstitous world on a

course of reason, science, learning, and tolerance. He was an internationally renowned inventor, scientists, engineer, architect,

painter, sculptor, musician, mathematician, anatomist, astronomer, geologists, biologist, and philosopher in his time.

Born in 1452 as an illegitimate son of Ser piero da Vinci, da Vinci was sent to Florence in his teens to apprentice as a painter

under Andrea del Verrocchio. He quickly developed his own artistic style which was unique and contrary to tradition, even

going so far as to devised his own special formula of paint. His style was characterized by diffuse shadows and subtle hues and

marked the beginning of the High Renaissance period. Like many great original efforts, da Vinci's artistic style was largely

unpopular for the next quarter century.

Later Da Vinci became the court artist for the duke of Milan. Throughout his life he also served various other roles, including

civil engineer and architect (designing mechanical structures such as bridges and aqueducts), and military planner and weapons

designer (designing rudimentary tanks, catapults, machine guns, and even navel weapons).

Da Vinci's creative, analytic, and visionary inventiveness has yet to be matched.