Physics has been around for a long, long time.

We consider the Ancient Greeks to be the

'founders' of early physics, as they pushed for a better understanding of the natural world
around them. This includes some major players you are likely familiar with, like
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
Modern physics came centuries later, with folks like Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton
during the 15- and 1600s. There were many critical scientific breakthroughs during this
time as people discovered more and more about our universe.
In fact, much of the knowledge we take for granted was discovered during this Scientific
Revolution. For example, Copernicus was the first to demonstrate that the earth revolves
around the sun, not the other way around.
Galileo described many fundamental physical concepts, but he also made many
astronomical discoveries, such as sunspots and planetary satellites, by perfecting the
telescope.
Physics certainly wouldn't be the same without Isaac Newton, who you will no doubt
learn much about in your physics studies. He is probably most famous for his three laws
of motion and the law of universal gravitation. Newton is also credited with inventing
calculus, though you may or may not agree with that being a good thing!