Giovanni Schiaparelli was an Italian astronomer born on March 14, 1835. He is best known for his detailed observations of the planet Mars in the late 19th century. Schiaparelli used a telescope to map the surface of Mars and reported the existence of "canali," which translates to "channels" in English. This term led to widespread speculation about the possibility of life on the planet. Schiaparelli's work laid the foundation for future studies of Mars and influenced other astronomers, including Percival Lowell. His observations sparked public interest in the planet and contributed to the idea of extraterrestrial civilizations. Schiaparelli passed away on July 4, 1910.