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Feb 27, 1287
Glasses
Eyeglasses or Spectacles - Historians are not sure who invented the first eyeglasses. In the late thirteen century around 1287 paintings first appeared with people wearing or holding eyeglasses. From these paintings we know that eyeglasses were invented in Italy. Around 1300 the Venetian Glassmaker’s Guild made regulations on glasses. They made it illegal for glasses to be made with glass lenses in place of the more valuable rock crystal. In 1352, eyeglasses were only worn by the well educat -
Jan 27, 1300
Clocks
Clocks- during the 1300’s Clocks were invented during the 1300s. Galileo, an Italian scientist, discovered the pendulum in 1581. The pendulum greatly improved the constant movement of the hands or bells of a clock. The average error with the pendulum varied only by seconds each day. Before this error was from 10 to 15 minutes a day. During the 1600s the metallic gear, or toothed wheel, and the use of the screw in assembling the clocks were first used. -
Apr 27, 1496
Wallpaper
In 1496 the first paper mill came into operation in England. English artist soon make wallpaper decorated with hand painted designs, stencils, and wood-block prints. For the next 200 years England was a large producer of wallpaper for Europe. -
Toilet
Sir John Harrington, godson to Queen Elizabeth, made the first flush toilet for himself and his godmother in 1596. He was teased by his friends and never made another one although he and Queen Elizabeth continued to use the one he did make. -
Submarine
The first underwater warship was developed by Leonardo da Vinci. Vinci kept his plans secret becuase he didn’t want to make war any more terrifying. -
Printing Press
The first printing press was invented in 1436 by a German man named Johannes Gutenberg. Gutenberg was a goldsmith. Before the printing press was invented, monks had to copy everything by hand. Hand written books took months or years to hand print. This made books very expensive. Ink, moveable type, paper, and the press had been invented. Gutenberg creatively combined these inventions to devise the printing press. Gutenberg used the printing press to put ink on hundreds of individual letters. The -
Gunpowder
Gunpowder Was invented around 850 A.D. The Chinese used gunpowder in the early 1230’s to launch fireworks and in weapons. Gunpowder was probably used for the first time in Europe during the Battle of Cray in 1346. Historians do not know is this invention was carried from China to Europe or in the Europeans invented it independently. The invention of Gunpowder greatly changed the way men fought.
