William Harvey was born on April 1, 1578 in Kent, England, into the prosperous Harvey family. His father, Thomas Harvey had a flourishing business. He was well known in the small town of Folkestone. William was the eldest among seven children. He was the one born with a silver spoon during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. All his brothers did roaring business at the royal court in London and led a luxurious life.

William started his education at King’s School, Canterbury. He was an avid reader and an ardent lover of books. He took his bachelor’s degree in 1597 from the Cambridge University. He proceeded to study medicine in one of the renowned centres for medical research at Padua, Italy. There he studied under the esteemed guidance of Hieronymus Fabricius, an anatomist, whose influence could be felt a great deal in William Harvey’s works.