Archimedes, the famous Greek philosopher, mathematician, and engineer, discovered the principle that a body weighed less when immersed in water. He realized that the apparent weight loss was due to the water's buoyancy force, pushing up against the object. Archimedes' principle is significant in many areas of physics, including fluid mechanics and hydrodynamics. The principle explains why some objects float while others sink and is still widely used in modern engineering and science.