-
Jan 1, 1300
Eyeglasses
There were many ideas of eyeglasses in early paintings, but the first wearable pair were created sometime in the early 1300s by Salvino D'Amate in Florence. He used convex and concave glass to improve vision for people. This was one of the most important inventions of the Renaissance because it led to advancements in society and newer inventions like telescopes and microscopes. -
Jan 1, 1300
Compass
No one knows for sure what year the compass was invented, but it is estimated around the 1300s. The first compass was used by a Chinese man named Zheng He. After his 7 voyages (1405- 1433 A.D.), Europeans began to find out about the compass. It was then used to discover new routes for trade and navigation. -
Jan 1, 1400
Oil Paint
Oil paint was invented by Jan Van Eyck in the early 1400s. This invention is important to history because Leonardo Da Vinci used oil paints to create the Mona Lisa in 1503, one of the most famous paintings ever created. -
Jan 1, 1410
Mechanical Clock
In 1410, the mechanical clock was first invented by Filippo Brunelleschi in Florence, Italy. Leonardo Da Vinci's sketches contributed to a more modern development of the mechanical clock. This invention was the first known time keeper to measure the time peiod of a day in 24 hours. -
Jan 1, 1440
Printing Press
The printing press was created in Germany by Johannes Guttenberg in 1440. This invention was the first major printing device, and one of its major acheivements was printing the Holy Bible in 1456. -
Jan 1, 1485
Parachute
The first sketches of the parachute were done by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1485. Many scientists, like Faust Vrancic and Jean Pierre Blanchard, tested the parachute using animals or themselves. But Sebastien Lenormand was the first to demonstrate the "parachute principle" in 1783. -
Jan 1, 1496
Wallpaper
The first paper mill that created wallpaper was in England, and it produced wallpaper for close to 200 years. It is used to decorate the walls of homes and castles, so therefore only wealthy people could afford it at the time. -
Jan 1, 1500
Steam Engine
The first idea of this invention was created by a Greek Mathematician named Hero of Alexandria. It was later modernized and actually created by Thomas Savery who created a water powered pump which created steam. -
Jan 1, 1507
Portable Watch
The portable watch was invented by Peter Henlein in Germany. It came years after the mechanical clock, but was the first clock that was small enough to be on someone's wrist. -
Jan 1, 1560
Floating Dock
In 1560, the first sketches of the floating dock were found in a small Italian book in Venice. The author is unknown, but these sketches led to the real building of the floating dock in later centuries. -
Microscope
Both Hans Janssen and Zacharias Janssen hold credit for this invention in the 1590s. Anthony Van Leewenhoek improved the magnification about 270 times its original size in the 17th century. -
Thermometer
The basic air thermometer was invented by Galileo Galilei in 1593. It is the first invention used to measure temperature variations in units. -
Flushing Toilet
In 1596, John Harrington created the first flushable toilet in England. This invention was equipped with a flush valve to empty water in a clean way. It was introduced to Queen Elizabeth I, who was the first to have them in her castle for other people to use. -
Telescope
The telescope was invented in 1609 by Galileo Galilei. It is used to observe heavenly objects and resulted in further research of astronomy. -
Submarine
The idea of the submarine was introduced by Leonardo Da Vinci, but it wasn't successfully constructed until 1624 by Cornelius Van Drebbel. He created it out of wood and water-proof leather, and it was capable of going 15 feet below the water. -
Match
Robert Boyle discovered that when phosphorus and sulfur are rubbed together, they will create a flame. This match was not safe because it burned up in Boyle's pocket. This was one of the most influential inventions of the Renaissance.
