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150
Greeks Create Maps
In 150 A.D. the Greek Ptolemy made a map of the entire Roman World and the Mediterranean Sea. The mathematician Eratosthenes predicted the circumference of the earth (and was very close) as well as developed maps that showed longitude and latitude. -
Mar 1, 1492
Columbus "Rediscovers" America
Christopher Columbus leads his three ships, the Nina, the Pinto, and the Santa Maria towards the Indies, but because routes were blocked he happened upon North America; however, he was not the first. -
Mar 1, 1513
Balboa Crosses the Pacific
Vasco Nunez de Balboa crosses the Isthmus of Panama and sails in the Pacific Ocean, becoming the first European to reach the Pacific Ocean from the New World. -
Mar 1, 1519
Magellan Goes Around the Globe (Almost)
Ferdinand Magellan embarks on the first circumnavigation of the globe. However, he is killed in the Phillippines in 1521 and his crew member Sebastian del Cano completes the journey. -
Robert Boyle Observations/Experiments
In 1674 Robert Boyle pulished a report entitled "Observations and Experiments on the Saltiness of the Sea." The report investigated the relationship between salinity, and pressure with depth. -
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Captain James Cook
During this time period of around ten years, Captain James Cook, from Britain, gathered copious data on the geography, geology, currents, tides, and water temperatures of the main oceans, and applied many useful navigation tools. He also discovered the Hawaiin Islands!! -
Benjamin Franklin Publishes Ocean Chart
In 1770 Benjamin Franklin published the first ocean chart, which was a chart mapping the Gulf Stream. Shippers of this time period consulted the chart as they crossed the North Atlantic Ocean. -
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Charles Darwin
In 1831 Charles Darwin went abord the HMS Beagle to lead a four year exploration. Darwin sailed to the Galapagos Islands and it was during this voyage that lead to his theory of organic evolution by Natural Selection. -
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Jacques Cousteau
Jacques Cousteau was a filmmaker "self-taught" oceanographer and the most famous under-sea explorers of the 20th century. He helped to invent the Aqua-Lang, a breathing device for scuba divers, and was a pioneer for enviromental protection. -
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German Expedition
In the 1920's a German research vessel named the Meteor embarked to study the physical oceanography of the Atlantic Ocean. On the vessel was one of the first times scientists used an echo sounder. -
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
In 1930 the Woods Hole Oceanographic, which is the largest independent oceanographic research instituion in the United States, is established in Cape Cod, Massachusetts (right near us!!). -
ALVIN Created
Tour of Alvin!Alvin, which is owned and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, was created in 1964 and to this day is operating as deep-sea submersible. It was the first deep-sea sub that was capable of carrying passangers, and it can travel to a maximum depth of 14, 764 ft. -
NOAA Established
In 1970 the U.S. government created the department of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to help research the conditions of the ocean and the atmosphere. NOAA deals with both oceanography and meteorology (by predicting dangerous weather), and puts many of the ocean's resources to great use. -
Seasat-A is Launched
In 1978 the Seasat-A, the first oceanographic, earth-orbiting satellite, is launched. The Seasat collected data on sea-surface winds and temperatures, wave heights, atmospheric pressure, sea ice, and ocean topography. -
Viking's Explorations
The Vikings were courageous explorers who sailed into the North Atlantic Ocean and south to the Mediterraen Sea. Vikings sailed to the Americas, Iceland, and Greenland.
