William Herschel may be remembered as an outstanding observer and telescope maker, but it was not always so. While Herschel had always been interested in astronomy, he was a professional musician when he discovered the planet Uranus in 1781, which was what brought him to the notice of the professional astronomers of the day.
As a result, he was introduced to King George III, who awarded him a salary and official recognition.
Uranus Recognised as a Planet
However, Uranus was not a new discovery at all- it had been observed many times before, but it was always thought to be just another star. Herschel was just the first to recognize it as a planet.