No. 01 - Galileo v. the Church/Pope Urban VIII

Poor Galileo Galilei has become the poster child for the whole "small-minded church persecutes obviously correct scientist who threatens their power" thing.

Back in the 17th century, Galileo dared to defend the Copernican view that the sun (as opposed to the Earth) was at the center of the solar system.

To Pope Urban VIII, this smacked of heresy, as it dared to challenge the Roman Catholic Church's assertion that the Earth was the center of all things and the Bible's assertion that the Earth was immobile and that the sun rose and set over the Earth.

Galileo was charged with heresy, imprisoned and later sentenced to house arrest.

Geez, if daring to challenge the Bible were that much of a crime today, there'd be a lot fewer people out on the streets.