Thales of Miletuswas the first known Greek philosopher and mathematician who introduced the basic concepts of geometryto the Greeks. A man of many talents, Thales was a successful merchant and founded his own school of philosophy in Miletus, which included teachings in mathematics and astronomy. Notably, Thales emphasis on "natural" rather than "supernatural" explanations for phenomena marks the beginning of scientific methodology and theoretical reasoning. Honored and revered as a man of knowledge and wisdom in his own time, Thales was named one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece.

Thales was born circa 640 B.C. to 620 B.C. in Miletus, a Greek island along the coast of Asia Minor. Since Thales left behind no writings, little is known about his life. As with many ancient thinkers, fact, fiction, and myth have become intermixed. His father was Examius and his mother Cleobuline. Growing up in a strategic caravan...