Advancements in Ship Design
Developed on the Atlantic coast of Spain and Portugal, the caravel was designed as a renovation of the vessels that the Arabs had built. The caravel was built with two or three main masts and triangular sails, and when the ships got bigger the foremast was shaped as a square. These shaped masts and sails gave the ships the ability to sail closer to the wind which was essential for voyages where the wind pattern was unknown. They had a better handle of the ships at sea now, thanks to the caravel. The sternpost rudder also helped sailors to maintain a steadier course.
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Portuguese caravel by PHGCOM -- CC
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Advancements in Navigational InstrumentsThe astrolabe, a graduated metal circle with a revolving pointer and a turning board in the center, was invented around 400 AD. Brought to Europe around the 12th century, the astrolabe peaked in popularity throughout the 15th and 16th century. It was primarily used to tell the location of ships at sea using latitudes. It was also used to observe the altitude of the sun at midday or the altitude of the polar star at night. Also used to determine the location of ships at sea was the quadrant. The quadrant did not require a visible horizon to find the altitude unlike other instruments.
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Although he is often cited as the inventor of the printing press, Johannes Gutenberg merely gave it a huge renovation. He made the printing press quicker by making all parts movable. Each letter and punctuation piece was made into an individual component. Information about geography, science, and literature could be copied and passed down easily in the form of books, charts, and maps.
The printing press profoundly impacted the transmission of knowledge. Gutenberg's press allowed manuscripts to be printed in mass amounts at relatively affordable costs. People who did not have access to information now could afford to educate themselves on areas of higher learning and knowledge. |
Demonstration of a working model of a Gutenberg printing press
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The MacDonald boys playing golf by Jeremiah Davison -- Public Domain
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1400 - Golf is thought to have originated in Scotland as early as 1400. The game played started out with wooden balls that didn't travel too far, and became so popular that King James II issued a ban against playing the game in 1457.
1411 - The matchlock, the firing mechanism for a rifle or gun, appeared this year. Today most of us call it the trigger. 1486 - The first known copyright was granted in Venice to Marco Antonio Sabellicio. 1494 - Whiskey was invented in Scotland. |