16th Century - Inventions, Discoveries, Introductions

Inventions, Discoveries, Introductions

Related article: List of 16th century inventions.
  • The Columbian Exchange introduces many plants, animals and diseases to the Old and New Worlds.
  • Introduction of the spinning wheel revolutionizes textile production in Europe.
  • The letter J is introduced into the English alphabet.
  • 1500: First portable watch is created by Peter Henlein of Germany.
  • 1513: Juan Ponce de León sights Florida and Vasco Núñez de Balboa sights the eastern edge of the Pacific Ocean.
  • 1519–22: Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastián Elcano lead the first circumnavigation of the World.
  • 1519–1540: In America, Hernando de Soto expeditions map the Gulf of Mexico coastline and bays.
  • 1525: Modern square root symbol (√)
  • 1540: Francisco Vásquez de Coronado sights the Grand Canyon.
  • 1541–42: Francisco de Orellana sails the length of the Amazon River.
  • 1543: Copernicus publishes his theory that the Earth and the other planets revolve around the Sun
  • 1545: Theory of complex numbers is first developed by Gerolamo Cardamo of Italy.
  • 1558: Camera obscura is first used in Europe by Giambattista della Porta of Italy.
  • 1559–1562: Spanish settlements in Alabama/Florida and Georgia confirm dangers of hurricanes and local native warring tribes.
  • 1565: Spanish settlers outside New Spain (Mexico) colonize Florida's coastline at St. Augustine.
  • 1565: Invention of the graphite pencil (in a wooden holder) by Conrad Gesner. Modernized in 1812.
  • 1568: Gerardus Mercator creates the first Mercator Projection map.
  • 1572: Supernova SN 1572 is observed by Tycho Brahe in the Milky Way.
  • 1582: Gregorian calendar is introduced in Europe by Pope Gregory XIII and adopted by catholic countries.
  • c. 1583: Galileo Galilei of Pisa, Italy identifies the constant swing of a pendulum, leading to development of reliable timekeepers.
  • 1585: earliest known reference to the 'sailing carriage' in China.
  • 1589: William Lee invents the stocking frame.
  • 1591: First flush toilet is introduced by Sir John Harrington of England, the design published under the title 'The Metamorphosis of Ajax'.
  • 1593: Galileo Galilei invents a thermometer.
  • 1596: William Barents discovers Spitsbergen.
  • 1597: Opera in Florence by Jacopo Peri.

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