Dimitrios Kotsakis–Astronomer, Author

Dimitrios Kotsakis was born in 1909 in Filiatra, Messenia. His father was Dionysios Kotsakis, who had many children. The roots of the Kotsakis family come from the village of Alonistaina in Arcadia. Theodoros Kolokotronis’ mother, Elisavet (Zambia) Kotsakis, was also a family member.

Dimitrios Kotsakis attended the introductory education courses at the current 3rd Primary School of Filiatra and the secondary education courses at the Filiatra Junior High School. Afterwards, he studied at the Physics and Mathematics School of the University of Athens, where he received his doctorate in 1937, submitting his thesis entitled: "On the completion of a class of Monge's equations".

He worked at the Hamburg, Heidelberg and Friborg observatories, while in the period 1932-1936, he was an assistant at the Athens Observatory. In 1936, he was appointed assistant to the Astronomy Laboratory of the University of Athens, and from 1938 to 1939, he was a professor at the School of Icarus and the School of Naval Cadets. Also, in 1940, he taught at the Evelpidon Military School and in 1943, he was elected assistant professor of Astronomy at the National Metsovio Technical University.

In 1962, Dimitrios Kotsakis was the first director of the Eugenidion Foundation. On August 3rd, 1965, he was elected to the professorship of Astronomy at the University of Athens, remaining director of the Eugenidion Planetarium until 1973. He was also the pioneer for the establishment of the "Corgialenio Kryoneri Astronomical Station" ("Kryoneri Observatory") in mountainous Corinthia, with the largest telescope in Greece at the time (1975).

Dimitrios Kotsakis was an active "Christian Scientists Union" member and wrote articles in the union's magazine, "Aktines". He authored both university writings and numerous small popular books, among which the following are included: "Cosmography" (together with Konstantinos Hassapis) - the 2nd Class of Senior High School Astronomy textbook, "New Horizons in Astronomy", "Stars", "The Universe, Life and Man", "The Star of Bethlehem and Science", "Astronomy and Astrology in Byzantium" etc.

Dimitrios Kotsakis died on May 9th, 1986, in Athens, at the age of 77.