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In 1452, a baby boy was born without a surname in the small Tuscan town of Vinci. Simply called "Leonardo, son of Ser Piero from Vinci," this illegitimate child would become history's most celebrated polymath. 🎨 His father was a successful notary, his mother a peasant woman. Being born out of wedlock meant Leonardo couldn't follow his father's profession or inherit his wealth. Instead, he was apprenticed to an artist at age 14. Without formal education or family advantages, Leonardo's genius emerged through pure talent and relentless curiosity. He filled thousands of notebook pages with inventions centuries ahead of their time - flying machines, tanks, and anatomical studies so accurate they're still used in medical schools today. What many don't realize is that "da Vinci" wasn't actually his last name - it simply meant "from Vinci." The name that once marked him as an outsider became synonymous with boundless creativity and innovation. 🖼️ Sources: Giorgio Vasari's "Lives of the Artists," Florentine baptismal records, Leonardo's personal notebooks