The Economic Times

German astronomer who discovered three laws of planetary motion had a mother imprisoned on witchcraft charges; in 1620 he put science on hold and penned a 128-page defense that freed her

Johannes Kepler faced a difficult challenge defending his mother from witchcraft accusations. His mother, Katharina Kepler, was imprisoned and faced torture for alleged sorcery. Kepler halted his astronomical work to hire lawyers and secure her release. He presented a strong defense, challenging the prosecution's baseless claims. Katharina was eventually freed after a six-year ordeal and died the next year.