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The first sailing vessels that we know of were created by the Ancient Egyptians back in 4000BC. These were most likely used for sailing near the coast, and down the Nile river.
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In 600, the Phoenicians developed the first ever sea routes. They sailed around the Mediterranean, to reach the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, so they could procure tin and other resources.
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Leif Erikson becomes the first European to discover North America. He does this almost 500 years before Christopher Columbus, who is know as the discoverer of America. Erikson called it Vinland, and established a Norse settlement.
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In 1535, Guglielmo de Lorena created the first "real" diving bell. The bell rests on the divers shoulders, and holds enough air for a 1 hour dive.
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In 1715, Chavalier de Beauve develops a "waterproof" suit. He adds lead shoes to weigh it down, and tubes on the helmet to supply air.
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In 1800, Robert Fulton, who invented the steamboat, created a submarine called "the Nautilus" with wood, iron plates, and a horizontal rudder that people still use to this day. It was this submarine that inspired the ship in "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea".
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On January 3rd, in 1840, Sir James Clark Ross performed the first deep-water sounding, measuring in at 14,450 feet. (A sounding is the measurement of how deep the water is in that specific area).
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In 1867, Louis F. de Pourtales dredged the ocean off the southern coast of Florida. While conducting this, he found prolific life extending below 1800 feet. This was the first solid evidence that deep sea life exists.
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On April 15th, the "unsinkable ship" the Titanic, hit an iceberg and sank, causing the deaths of over 1500 passengers. This tragedy is one of the main reasons that scientists started to develop sonar.
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The "Challenger 2", a British ship, located what seems to be the deepest point in the ocean. Being over 7 miles deep, it can fit Mount Everest inside of it, and still have a mile left to go. It was known as "Challengers Deep", but today is known as the "Mariana Trench".
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Walter Smith and Dave Sandwell begin to map the seafloor using a satellite. This enhanced our knowledge of the seafloor greatly.
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In 2012, a Japanese film crew catches the first recording of a live Giant Squid. Many dead squid have been seen before, but never a recording of a live one.
