A Brief History - The Shape of the World
| 380 BC | First recorded description of Earth as sphere, by Plato in Phaedo, quoting Socrates |
|---|---|
| 276-194 BC | Eratosthenes calculates circumference of Earth |
| 190-120 BC | Hipparchus, Greek astronomer: first to use latitude & longitude |
| 271 AD | Magnetic compass in use in China |
| 1457 | Map of the world drawn by Fra Mauro, Venetian monk |
| 1492 | Columbus discovers New World |
| 1524-8 | Verrazzano maps Atlantic coast of North America |
| 1525 | Fernel first to measure degree of meridian, in France |
| 1577-80 | Drake circumnavigates globe |
| 1698/9 | Halley's expedition maps magnetic variation of a compass in Atlantic |
| 1736-44 | French Academie's expeditions to Lapland and Peru prove that Earth is flattened at poles, as predicted by Newton in 1680s |
| 1762 | John Harrison's No. 4 chronometer demonstrates accurate longitude determination |
| 1793 | Completion of French Carte de Cassini, first scientifically conducted national survey |
| 1838 | Electric telegraph invented in Britain; soon used in longitude determination |
| 1913 | Greenwich meridian accepted internationally as prime meridian |
Source:
Berthon, Simon, and Andrew Robinson. The Shape of the World. Rand McNally, 1991. Print.
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