Urie Bronfenbrenner was an American developmental psychologist best known for creating the Ecological Systems Theory. This theory emphasizes the different layers of environment that influence human development, including immediate settings like family and school, as well as broader societal factors. Born on April 29, 1917, Bronfenbrenner's work highlighted the importance of context in understanding how individuals grow and change. He believed that development is shaped by interactions within various systems, such as the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem, which together create a complex web of influences on a person's life.