Mathematics has played a fundamental role in everyday life since the beginning of time. There have been many individuals responsible for pioneering higher mathematics. Among these individuals is a man who was a physicist and scholar and helped give birth to modern mathematics. His name was Leonhard Euler. Although he was born in the 18th century, Euler's mathematical innovations still apply to the world of mathematics we experience today. It was a warm spring day (well, I suppose it would have been a warm spring day) when Leonhard Euler graced the world with his presence. April 15, 1707 marked the day a brilliant mathematician came into the world. It would become apparent in his early childhood that Euler had a talent for mathematics. Although his abilities could be considered genetic as his father, Paul Euler, was himself a brilliant mathematician who studied under Jakob Bernoulli. Euler was born in Basel, Switzerland, where he was destined to become a priest. However, it was obvious that Euler had a different calling in life. His aptitude for mathematics was evident already in his early life. His propensity for higher studies was so great that as a boy he studied with Johann Bernoulli, Jakob's brother. The time spent with Johann stimulated his sense of mathematical discovery. Euler attended the University of Basel where he received his master's degree while still a teenager. While he was in school he barely learned mathematics because the school was basically a poor school. Because of his mathematical curiosity and Johann's private tutoring, at the age of 16, Euler obtained a master's degree. His curiosity about mathematics allowed Euler to study the works of other brilliants…half the paper…all their squares, cubes, and the fourth, fifth, and sixth powers. An impressive feat for anyone, but his abilities don't stop there. He was also capable of performing mental calculations up to at least fifty digits of precision. He also completely memorized Virgil's Aeneid in Latin. The text in its entirety is 63,719 words long. In summary, Euler was an impressive man for his contributions to higher-level mathematics, for his ability to persevere despite his blind condition, for having one of the most impressive memories in history. Euler may not have been the father of calculus, but he was the one who cultivated it and gave birth to some of the greatest mathematical concepts, formulas, equations, and numbers. Guass explained it best when he said: “The study of Euler's works will remain the best school for the different fields of mathematics and nothing else can replace it”..”