Pierre-Simon Laplace was a French mathematician and astronomer born on March 23, 1749. He is best known for his work in statistics, celestial mechanics, and probability theory. His most famous work, the Mécanique Céleste, transformed the understanding of planetary motion and laid the groundwork for modern astronomy. Laplace also contributed significantly to the field of statistics, particularly through the development of the Laplace transform and the concept of Bayesian probability. He served in various governmental roles during the French Revolution and was a member of the French Academy of Sciences, influencing both science and mathematics in his time.