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The theory of gravity was developed by Isaac Newton, who formulated the law of universal gravitation in the late 17th century. Newton proposed that every mass attracts every other mass with a force that is proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers. This groundbreaking work provided a mathematical framework for understanding gravity as a universal force, significantly advancing the field of physics and laying the groundwork for classical mechanics.

In contrast, Galileo Galilei contributed to the foundational concepts of motion and gravity through his experiments and observations, such as those involving falling objects and inertia. Albert Einstein later expanded on Newton's ideas with his general theory of relativity, which describes gravity not as a force but as a warping of space and time caused by mass. Nikola Tesla, while a brilliant inventor and electrical engineer, did not develop theories related to gravity. Thus, Newton's contributions are pivotal in establishing the foundational understanding of gravitational forces.