Leonardo Da Vinci was born April 14, 1452, in a small town of Vinci not far from Florence in France. His father took Leonardo under his wing while his mother moved to a neighboring town. Growing up in his father's home he had access to various scholarly books owned by family and friends. His talent was soon discovered and he became an apprentice of Andrea Del Verrocchio, a leading renaissance master.

Leonardo Da Vinci entered the service of the Duke of Milan at the age of 30. He spent 17 years in Milan, where he painted one of his more famous paintings "The Last Supper." In Milan Da Vinci did more then paint, he began to investigate scientific matters such as anatomy, biology, mathematics, and physics. He left Milan only after Duke Ludovico Sforza's fall from power in 1499. It was during these years that Leonardo hit his stride, reaching new heights of...