History of Trigonometry By HoldenP05 Period: 1900 BCE to 1600 BCE Babylonian tablets show knowledge of Pythagorean Triples 1800 BCE Plimpton 322, which contains Pythagorean Triples, was written 1650 BCE The earliest example of trigonometry was found on the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus Period: 800 BCE to 400 BCE Pythagorean Theorem mentioned in the Baudhayana Sulba-sutra of India 600 BCE Thales measures the height of the Pyramids of Giza using similar triangles Period: 535 BCE to 500 BCE Pythagoras "creates" the Pythagorean Theorem Period: 161 BCE to 127 Hipparchus creates Trigonometry 100 Menelaus of Alexandria writes the Sphaerica (Spherical Trigonometry) 100 Menelaus of Alexandria writes 6 books of tables of chords Period: 127 to 141 Ptolemy studies astronomy and finished Hipparchus' work on trigonometry 499 Aryabhata creates the first ever sine and cosine tables Period: 800 to 829 Muhammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī produces the first table of tangents 830 Habash al-Hasib al-Marwazi produced the first table of cotangents Period: 900 to 999 Abul Wafa, a Persian mathematician, creates the Tangent function Period: 1700 to 1800 Many new inventions were created using trigonometry including accurate clocks, navigation tools, and musical instruments Period: 1802 to 1871 The Great Trigonometrical Survey was used to survey the Indian subcontinent 1849 Height of Mt. Everest measured using trigonometry