1000 BCE
Polynesian wayfinding
Polynesian navigators cross the Pacific using stars, swells and birds without instruments. Source — Wikipedia:
Chronological Storyline (10 Milestones)
150 BCE
Ptolemy’s Geography
Ptolemy systematises latitude, longitude and map projection in his influential Geography. Source — Wikipedia: )
1040 CE
Chinese magnetic compass
Song-dynasty China describes the magnetic needle compass for direction-finding and navigation. Source — Wikipedia:
1154 CE
Al-Idrisi’s world map
Al-Idrisi compiles one of the medieval world’s most accurate maps for the king of Sicily. Source — Wikipedia:
1405 CE
Zheng He’s ocean voyages
Admiral Zheng He’s vast Ming fleets navigate to Africa, advancing maritime charts and logistics. Source — Wikipedia:
1569 CE
Mercator projection
Gerardus Mercator’s projection lets sailors plot constant compass courses as straight lines. Source — Wikipedia:
1731 CE
The sextant
The sextant measures celestial angles precisely, fixing latitude (and, with a clock, longitude) at sea. Source — Wikipedia:
1942 CE
Inertial navigation
Gyroscope-and-accelerometer systems let rockets, submarines and aircraft navigate without external signals. Source — Wikipedia:
1968 CE
GIS: computerised mapping
Roger Tomlinson builds the Canada Geographic Information System, founding spatial data modelling. Source — Wikipedia:
1995 CE
GPS reaches full operation
The US Global Positioning System becomes fully operational, giving the world satellite positioning. Source — Wikipedia: