Timeline of historic inventions

Paleolithic

A many few non-invention dates are included in italics, for context.

• 3.3-2.6 million years ago (Ma): Stone tools - found in present-day Kenya, they are so old that only a pre-human species could have invented them.^[1] The otherwise earliest known stone tools (Oldowan) were found in Ethiopia^[2] developed perhaps by Australopithecus garhi or Homo habilis^[3][4]
• 2.3 Ma: Earliest likely control of fire and cooking, by Homo habilis^[5][6][7]
• 1.76 Ma: Advanced (Acheulean) stone tools in Kenya by Homo erectus^[8][9]
• 900-40 thousand years ago (ka): Boats
• 790 ka: Hearths, at Gesher Benot Ya'akov, in Israel (latest possible invention of cooking)^{[6][7][10][11]}
• 400 ka: Pigments in Zambia^[12]
• 400-300 ka: Spears in Germany^[13][14] likely by Homo heidelbergensis
• 350-150 ka: Estimated origin of language ^[15]
• 300 ka: Anatomically modern humans
• 200 ka: Glue in Italy^[16]
• 170-83 ka: Clothing^[17]
• 135-100 ka: Beads in Israel and Algeria^[18]
• ~130-115 ka: Eemian interglacial period begins and ends, followed by the last glacial period^[19]
• 100 ka: Burial in Israel^[20]
• 90 ka: Harpoons in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.^[21]
• 77 ka: Bedding in South Africa^[22]
• 64–61 ka: Bone tool technology in South Africa, evidenced by the find of a spearhead along with what may be an arrowhead, suggesting bow and arrow, and a sewing needle^[23][24]
• 49-30 ka: Ground stone tools - fragments of an axe in Australia date to 49-45 ka, more appear in Japan closer to 30 ka, and elsewhere closer to the Neolithic.^[25][26]
• 40-50+ ka: Behavioral modernity
• 44–42 ka: Tally sticks (see Lebombo bone) in Swaziland^[27]
• 40–20 ka: Cremation in Australia^[28]
• 40 ka: Cave painting in Spain and Indonesia^[29]
• 37 ka: Mortar and pestle in Southwest Asia.^[30]
• 36–9 ka: Weaving – Indirect evidence supports earlier end in Georgia^[31] and/or Moravia.^[32] The earliest actual piece of woven cloth was found in Çatalhöyük, Turkey^[33][34]
• 35 ka: Flute in Germany^[35]
• 28 ka: Rope^[36]
• 28 ka: Phallus in Germany^[37]
• 16 ka: Pottery in China^[38]
• 15 ka: Bullroarer in Ukraine^[39]
• 14.5 ka: Bread in Jordan^[40][41]
• 14 ka: Dentistry in northern Italy^[42]
• 13–12 ka: Agriculture in the Fertile Crescent^[43][44]
• 13–11 ka: Domestication of sheep in Southwest Asia^[45][46] (followed shortly by pigs, goats and cattle)
• 11.7 ka: Last glacial period ends, followed by the Holocene
• 11-8 ka: Domestication of rice in China^[47]
• 11 ka: Constructed stone monument - Göbekli Tepe, in Turkey^[48]

Neolithic

Note the shift from Ma and ka to BC and AD – 8000 BC is approximately the same as 10 ka.

• 8000–7500 BC: Proto-city – large permanent settlements, such as Jericho and Çatalhöyük^[49]
• 7000 BC: Alcohol fermentation - specifically mead, in China^[50]
• 6500 BC: Evidence of Lead smelting in Çatalhöyük, in Turkey^[51]
• 6000 BC: Kiln in Mesopotamia (Iraq)^[52]
• 5000 BC: Copper smelting in Serbia^[53]
• 5th millennium BC: Lacquer in China^[54][55]
• 5000–4500 BC: Rowing oars in China^[56][57]
• 4500 - 3500 BC: Lost-wax casting in Israel^[58]
• 4400 BC: Copper Sewing needle in Naqada, Egypt^[59]
• 4000 - 3500 BC: Wheel: potter's wheels in Mesopotamia and wheeled vehicles in Mesopotamia (Sumerian civilization), the Northern Caucasus (Maykop culture) and Central Europe (Cucuteni-Trypillian culture).^[60][61][62]
• 3630 BC: Silk garments (sericulture) in China^[63]
• 3500 BC: Domestication of the horse^[64][65][66]
• 3200 BC: Sailing in ancient Egypt^[67][68]
• 3000 BC: Writing – Cuneiform in Sumer, Mesopotamia (Iraq)^[69] (also see proto-writing)
• 3000 BC: Bronze in Mesopotamia^[70]
• 3000 BC: Papyrus in Egypt^[71][72]
• 3000 BC: Tin extraction in Central Asia^[73]
• 3000 BC: Comb in Persia.^[74]
• 3000 BC: Star chart in Korea.^[75]
• 2500 BC: Docks in Ancient Egypt^[76][77]

7th century BC

• 600 BC Lighthouse in Egypt^[86]
• Late 7th or early 6th century BC: Wagonway called Diolkos across the Isthmus of Corinth in Ancient Greece

6th century BC

With the Greco-Roman trispastos ("three-pulley-crane"), the simplest ancient crane, a single man tripled the weight he could lift than with his muscular strength alone.^[87]

• Late 6th century BC: Crank motion (rotary quern) in Carthage^[88] or 5th century BC Celtiberian Spain^[89][90]
• c. 515 BC: Crane in Ancient Greece^[91]

5th century BC

• 5th century BC: Cast iron in Ancient China: Confirmed by archaeological evidence, the earliest cast iron is developed in China by the early 5th century BC during the Zhou Dynasty (1122–256 BC), the oldest specimens found in a tomb of Luhe County in Jiangsu province.^[92][93][94]
• 5th century BC: Crossbow in Ancient China and Ancient Greece: In Ancient China, the earliest evidence of bronze crossbow bolts dates as early as the mid-5th century BC in Yutaishan, Hubei.^[95] In Ancient Greece, the terminus ante quem of the gastraphetes is 421 BC.^[96][97]
• 5th–4th century BC: Traction trebuchet in Ancient China; appeared in the Mediterranean by the 6th century AD.^[98]
• Before 421 BC: Catapult in Ancient Greece (incl. Sicily) or Phoenician Carthage^[96][97]
• c. 480 BC: Spiral stairs (Temple A) in Selinunte, Sicily (see also List of ancient spiral stairs)^[99][100]

4th century BC

• 375–350 BC: Animal-driven rotary mill in Carthage.^[101][102]
• 4th century BC: Gears in Ancient China
• Approximately 350 BC: Greek hydraulic semaphore system, an optical communication system developed by Aeneas Tacticus.

3rd century BC

An illustration depicting the papermaking process in Han Dynasty China.

• By at least the 3rd century BC: Archimedes screw in Ancient Greece^[103]
• Early 3rd century BC: Canal lock in Ancient Suez Canal under Ptolemy II (283–246 BC) in Hellenistic Egypt^{[104][105][106]}
• 3rd century BC: Cam during the Hellenistic period, used in water-driven automata.^[107]
• 3rd century BC: Water wheel and Liquid-driven escapement in Hellenistic kingdoms described by Philo of Byzantium (c. 280 – 220 BC)^[108]
• 3rd century BC: Gimbal described Philo of Byzantium^[109]
• 3rd–2nd century BC: Blast furnace in Ancient China: The earliest discovered blast furnaces in China date to the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, although most sites are from the later Han Dynasty.^[92][110]

2nd century BC

The earliest fore-and-aft rigs, spritsails, appeared in the 2nd century BC in the Aegean Sea on small Greek craft.^[111] Here a spritsail used on a Roman merchant ship (3rd century AD).

• 2nd century BC: Paper in Han Dynasty China: Although it is recorded that the Han Dynasty (202 BC – AD 220) court eunuch Cai Lun (born c. 50–121 AD) invented the pulp papermaking process and established the use of new raw materials used in making paper, ancient padding and wrapping paper artifacts dating to the 2nd century BC have been found in China, the oldest example of pulp papermaking being a map from Fangmatan, Gansu.^[112]
• 150 BC Astrolabe invented in the Hellenistic world.

1st century BC

• 1st century BC: Glass blowing discovered on the Lebanese coast.
• 1st century BC: Segmental arch bridge (e.g. Pont-Saint-Martin or Ponte San Lorenzo) in Italy, Roman Republic^[113][114]
• 1st century BC: Arch dam (Glanum Dam) in Gallia Narbonensis, Roman Republic (see also List of Roman dams)^{[115][116][117][118][119]}
• Before 71 BC (possibly 3rd century BC^{[120][121][122]}): Watermill (grain mill) by Greek engineers in Eastern Mediterranean (see also List of ancient watermills)^[123][124]
• Before 40 BC: Trip hammer in China^[125]
• Before 25 BC: Reverse overshot water-wheel by Roman engineers in Rio Tinto, Spain^[126]

1st century

• 1st century: The Aeolipile, a simple steam turbine is recorded by Hero of Alexandria.^[127]
• 1st century: Vending machines invented by Hero of Alexandria.
• 1st century: Automatic doors invented by Hero of Alexandria.

2nd century

• 118 AD: Wheelbarrow was found in a tomb at Chengdu, Sichuan province during Han Dynasty China^[128]
• 132: Seismometer and pendulum in Han Dynasty China, built by Zhang Heng. It is a large metal urn-shaped instrument which employed either a suspended pendulum or inverted pendulum acting on inertia, like the ground tremors from earthquakes, to dislodge a metal ball by a lever trip device.^[129][130]

3rd century

Schematic of the Roman Hierapolis sawmill. Dated to the 3rd century AD, it is the earliest known machine to incorporate a crank and connecting rod mechanism.^{[131][132][133]}

• Early 3rd century: Woodblock printing is invented in Han Dynasty China at sometime before 220 AD. This made China become the world first print culture.^[134]
• Late 3rd century: Crank and connecting rod (Hierapolis sawmill) in Asia Minor, Roman Empire^{[131][132][133]}
• Late 3rd–early 4th century: Turbine in Africa (province), Roman Empire^{[135][136][137]}

4th century

• 4th century: Fishing reel in Ancient China: In literary records, the earliest evidence of the fishing reel comes from a 4th-century AD^[138] work entitled Lives of Famous Immortals'.^[139]
• 347 AD: Oil Wells and Borehole drilling in China. Such wells could reach depths of up to 240 m (790 ft).^[140]
• 4th century: Stirrups in Ancient China: The first dependable representation of a rider with paired stirrups was found in China in a Jin dynasty tomb of about AD 322.^{[141][142][143]} The stirrup appeared to be in widespread use across China by AD 477.^[144]
• 4th–5th century: Paddle wheel boat (in De rebus bellicis) in Roman Empire^[145]

5th century

• 5th century: Horse collar in Southern and Northern Dynasties China: The horse collar as a fully developed collar harness is developed in Southern and Northern Dynasties China during the 5th century AD.^[146] The earliest depiction of it is a Dunhuang cave mural from the Chinese Northern Wei Dynasty, the painting dated to 477–499.^[147]
• 5th/6th century: Pointed arch bridge (Karamagara Bridge) in Cappadocia, Eastern Roman Empire^[148][149]

6th century

A Nepali Charkha in action

• after 500 AD: Charkha (spinning wheel): invented in India, between 500 and 1000 A.D.^[150]
• 563 AD: Pendentive dome (Hagia Sophia) in Constantinople, Eastern Roman Empire^[151]
• 577 AD: Sulfur matches exist in China.
• 589 AD: Toilet paper in Sui Dynasty China, first mentioned by the official Yan Zhitui (531–591), with full evidence of continual use in subsequent dynasties.^[152][153]

7th century

• 650 AD Windmill in Persia^[86]
• 672 AD: Greek fire in Constantinople, Byzantine Empire: Greek fire, an incendiary weapon likely based on petroleum or naphtha, is invented by Kallinikos, a Lebanese Greek refugee from Baalbek, as described by Theophanes.^[154] However, the historicity and exact chronology of this account is dubious,^[155] and it could be that Kallinikos merely introduced an improved version of an established weapon.^[156]
• 7th century: Banknote in Tang Dynasty China: The banknote is first developed in China during the Tang and Song dynasties, starting in the 7th century. Its roots are in merchant receipts of deposit during the Tang Dynasty (618–907), as merchants and wholesalers desire to avoid the heavy bulk of copper coinage in large commercial transactions.^{[157][158][159]}
• 7th century: Porcelain in Tang Dynasty China: True porcelain is manufactured in northern China from roughly the beginning of the Tang Dynasty in the 7th century, while true porcelain was not manufactured in southern China until about 300 years later, during the early 10th century.^[160]

9th century

A Mongol bomb thrown against a charging Japanese samurai during the Mongol invasions of Japan after founding the Yuan Dynasty, 1281.

• 9th century: Gunpowder in Tang Dynasty China: Gunpowder is, according to prevailing academic consensus, discovered in the 9th century by Chinese alchemists searching for an elixir of immortality.^[161] Evidence of gunpowder's first use in China comes from the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (618–907).^[162] The earliest known recorded recipes for gunpowder are written by Zeng Gongliang, Ding Du, and Yang Weide in the Wujing Zongyao, a military manuscript compiled in 1044 during the Song Dynasty (960–1279).^{[163][164][165]}
• 9th century: Algebra in Syria^[166]
• 9th century: University in Morocco^[166]
• 9th century: Numerical zero in Ancient India: The concept of zero as a number, and not merely a symbol for separation is attributed to India.^[167] In India, practical calculations are carried out using zero, which is treated like any other number by the 9th century, even in case of division.^[167][168]

10th century

• 10th century: Fire lance in Song Dynasty China, developed in the 10th century with a tube of first bamboo and later on metal that shot a weak gunpowder blast of flame and shrapnel, its earliest depiction is a painting found at Dunhuang.^[169] Fire lance is the earliest firearm in the world and one of the earliest gunpowder weapons.^[170][171]
• 10th century: Fireworks in Song Dynasty China: Fireworks first appear in China during the Song Dynasty (960–1279), in the early age of gunpowder. Fireworks could be purchased from market vendors; these were made of sticks of bamboo packed with gunpowder.^[172]
• 10th century: Dry docks in Song Dynasty China.^[173]

11th century

• 11th century: Ambulance by Crusaders in Palestine and Lebanon^[174]
• 11th century: Early versions of the Bessemer process are developed in East Asia
• 11th century: Endless power-transmitting chain drive by Su Song for the development an astronomical clock (the Cosmic Engine)^[175]
• 1088: Movable type in Song Dynasty China: The first record of a movable type system is in the Dream Pool Essays, which attributes the invention of the movable type to Bi Sheng.^{[176][177][178][179]}

12th century

• 1119: Mariner's compass (wet compass) in Song Dynasty China: The earliest recorded use of magnetized needle for navigational purposes at sea is found in Zhu Yu's book Pingzhou Table Talks of 1119 (written from 1111 to 1117).^{[178][180][181][182][183][184][185]} The typical Chinese navigational compass was in the form of a magnetic needle floating in a bowl of water.^[186] The familiar mariner's dry compass which uses a pivoting needle suspended above a compass-card in a glass box is invented in medieval Europe no later than 1300.^[187]

13th century

• 1206: The camshaft, a shaft to which cams are attached, first described by Ismail al-Jazari
• 13th century: Rocket for military and recreational uses date back to at least 13th century China.^[188]
• 13th century: The earliest form of mechanical escapement, the verge escapement in Europe.^[189]
• 1275: Torpedo Concept by Hasan al-Rammah.^[190]
• 1277: Land mine in Song Dynasty China: Textual evidence suggests that the first use of a land mine in history is by a Song Dynasty brigadier general known as Lou Qianxia, who uses an 'enormous bomb' (huo pao) to kill Mongol soldiers invading Guangxi in 1277.^[191]
• 1286: Eyeglasses in Italy^[192]
• 13th century: Explosive bomb in Jin dynasty Manchuria: Explosive bombs are used in 1221 by the Jin dynasty against a Song Dynasty city.^[193] The first accounts of bombs made of cast iron shells packed with explosive gunpowder are documented in the 13th century in China and are called "thunder-crash bombs",^[194] coined during a Jin dynasty naval battle in 1231.^[195]
• 13th century: Hand cannon in Yuan Dynasty China: The earliest hand cannon dates to the 13th century based on archaeological evidence from a Heilongjiang excavation. There is also written evidence in the Yuanshi (1370) on Li Tang, an ethnic Jurchen commander under the Yuan Dynasty who in 1288 suppresses the rebellion of the Christian prince Nayan with his "gun-soldiers" or chongzu, this being the earliest known event where this phrase is used.^[196]

14th century

• Early to Mid 1300s: Multistage rocket in Ming Dynasty China described in Huolongjing by Jiao Yu.
• By at least 1326: Cannon in Ming Dynasty China^[197]
• 1378: Naval artillery in Korea^[198]
• 14th century: Jacob's staff invented by Levi ben Gerson
• 14th century: Naval mine in Ming Dynasty China: Mentioned in the Huolongjing military manuscript written by Jiao Yu (fl. 14th to early 15th century) and Liu Bowen (1311–1375), describing naval mines used at sea or on rivers and lakes, made of wrought iron and enclosed in an ox bladder. A later model is documented in Song Yingxing's encyclopedia written in 1637.^[199]

15th century

The 15th-century invention of the printing press with movable type by the German Johannes Gutenberg is widely regarded as the most influential event of the modern era.^[200]

• Early 15th century: Coil spring in Europe^[201]
• 15th century: Mainspring in Europe^[201]
• 15th century: Rifle in Europe
• 1420s: Brace in Flandres, Holy Roman Empire^[202]
• 1439: Printing press in Mainz, Germany: The printing press is invented in the Holy Roman Empire by Johannes Gutenberg before 1440, based on existing screw presses. The first confirmed record of a press appeared in a 1439 lawsuit against Gutenberg.^[203]
• 1441: Water gauge in Korea: The Joseon scientist Jang Yeong-sil invented the world's first water gauge, called the supyo.^{[204][205][206]}
• Mid 15th Century: The Arquebus (also spelled Harquebus) is invented, possibly in Spain.^[207][208]
• 1480s: Mariner's astrolabe in Portuguese circumnavigation of Africa^[209]
• 1494: Double-entry bookkeeping system codified by Luca Pacioli

16th century

• 1551: Taqi ad-Din describes a simple steam turbine-like device used in steam jacks.^[210]
• 1560: Floating Dry Dock in Venice, Venetian Republic^[211]
• 1569: Mercator Projection map created by Gerardus Mercator
• 1577: Newspaper in Korea^{[212][213][214]}
• 1589: Stocking frame: Invented by William Lee.^[215]
• 1594: Backstaff: Invented by Captain John Davis.
• By at least 1597: Revolver: Invented by Hans Stopler.

17th century

A 1609 title page of the German Relation, the world's first newspaper (first published in 1605)^[216][217]

• 1605: Newspaper (Relation): Johann Carolus in Strassburg, Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (see also List of the oldest newspapers)^[216][217]
• 1608: Telescope: Patent applied for by Hans Lippershey in the Netherlands. Actual inventor unknown since it seemed to already be a common item being offered by the spectacle makers in the Netherlands with Jacob Metius also applying for patent and the son of Zacharias Janssen making a claim 47 years later that his father invented it.
• c. 1620: Compound microscopes, which combine an objective lens with an eyepiece to view a real image, first appear in Europe. Apparently derived from the telescope, actual inventor unknown, variously attributed to Zacharias Janssen (his son claiming it was invented in 1590), Cornelis Drebbel, and Galileo Galilei.^[218]
• 1630: Slide rule: invented by William Oughtred^[219][220]
• 1642: Mechanical calculator. The Pascaline is built by Blaise Pascal
• 1643: Barometer: invented by Evangelista Torricelli, or possibly up to three years earlier by Gasparo Berti.^[221]
• 1650: Vacuum pump: Invented by Otto von Guericke.
• 1656: Pendulum clock: Invented by Christiaan Huygens. It was first conceptulized in 1637 by Galileo Galilei but he was unable to create a working model.
• 1663: Friction machine: Invented by Otto von Guericke.
• 1680: Christiaan Huygens provides the first known description of a piston engine.^[222]

18th century

19th century

20th century