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Magnetic Compass is Used in China
The magnetic compass was developed in China originally to align buildings and to be used as a fortune telling tool, but it soon became an aid to travelers. The compass pointed South and allowed sailors to now sail in any weather conditions, as they did not have to rely on the stars or the sun for directions. This increased the success rate of voyages, allowing for more places to be discovered by explorations and for more people to migrate to new areas. Ashton Herd -
Jan 1, 1099
Muhammad al Idrisi made an elaborate globe of Earth -Jon Leight
Muhammad al Idrisi in 1099 made a globe of the world, with his knowledge that the world was flat. The globe included the continents, lakes, rivers, trade routes, mountains, and major cities. This was a revolutionary idea because the Christian idea was that the world was flat, This contributed to geography because it allowed people to get a better look at the world, and people could use this new globe idea to navigate Earth easier, without the idea that the world was flat. -
Aug 3, 1492
Christopher Columbus Discovers America
King Ferdinand of Spain sponsored Columbus’s journey to find another way to India by going West. Instead of finding India, Columbus discovered America. America, for the most part, was not yet known to the rest of the developed world. This meant that their was a whole new land for people to migrate to and to explore. Ashton Herd -
Apr 22, 1500
Cabral discovered Brazil -Nate Gruver
Cabral intended only to sail west to catch the winds blowing in that direction. Instead he traveled too far westward and ended up spotting the coast of Brazil
Only eight years before this event did Christopher discover North America. Cabral discovering South America added another section on to the map makers of the 16th century. By finding this whole new continent he accidently proved that the world was even bigger and that there was more opportunities for life in new land masses -
Jan 1, 1519
Ferdinand Magellan Circumnavigates the World
Magellan traveled around the whole Earth by sea. His voyage was long and difficult, and only one ship of his journey returned with 18 out of 270 original sailors. By navigating the whole world, Magellan proved that the world could be traveled completely by sea. He also revealed that the world was much larger than previously imagined, which led to more explorations and discoveries. Ashton Herd -
Jan 1, 1569
Mercator created his map
In 1569, the Flemish geographer and cartographer Gerardus Mercator created the map, the Mercator Projection. Mercator created his map for navigation purposes since the straight lines on the map represent rhumb lines, which represent lines of constant compass bearing. The Mercator Projection is still used by navigators and geographers today since it is made and so useful for navigation. Richard -
Louisiana Purchase - Jon Leight
Thomas Jefferson bought this territory for 15 million U.S dollars to expand the United States for farming and settlement purposes. This changed geography because it, to this day, changed the map and added a territory in the middle area of the United States. -
Lewis and Clark Expedition - Jon Leight
In 1804, Lewis and Clark set off for their expidition, hoping to find an easy water route around the continent. They ended up making a map of the western U.S. This changed geography because many traders, settlers, and farmers, went to the west, which populated the western U.S. -
The Royal Geographical Society was formed in London
In 1830, sirs John Barrow, John Franklin, and Francis Beaufort discovered the Royal Geographical Society. This society was created to promote to advancement of geographical science. This society has contributed to geographichal science in many ways. For example, the society gives many lectures and conferences spreading the word and importance of geography, which makes other people see how much geography matters. Richard Dennis -
Gold was discovered in Calfornia
On January 24, 1848, James Marshall was looking over the construction of a saw mill on the American River as he discovered something shiny in the water. Once he walked over to the river and picked the item up, he discovered that it was gold. As of December, 1848, James K. Polk made the discovery official and as of 1849, prospects began travelling west in search of gold. Due to the discovery, many people left their homes which affected their families and the population of their homes. Richard -
North Pole first discovered -Nate Gruver
Originally claimed by Frederick Cook with two inuit men, as well as a later discovery made by Robert Edwin Peary, his employee Matthew Henson, along with four inuit men.
The discovery of the North poe was an achievement for it accomplished quite a bit geographically. It proved to the rest of the world what the farthest North part of the Earth looked like map out. It also proved what life would be like if humans would need to live in that area of the world. -
Panama Canal Completed -Nate Gruver
This is a 48 mile canal that connects the atlantic and pacific oceans. It started in the late 1800s by france but because of disease and famine they abandoned the project. The US took the project back in 1904 and completed it in 1914.
The panama canal helped geography exponentially because it allowed for ships to travel between atlantic and pacific oceans while it also helped the country of Panama grow in population and economy. -
World War II - Jon Leight
After World War II ended, many changes to Europe occurred. For example, 43 million of Europe’s population was erased because of the war. This threw off Europe’s economy also, as a result of World War II Western Europe’s leadership in global politics was “diminished”. During the war, maps changed because Germany split into two, and Poland's borders changed. -
China Establishes One Child Rule
The One Child Policy was China's attempt at population control. It does not affect the whole population, as only 36% of China's population is subject to it today. This rule prevents widespread overpopulation and overcrowding. China also does not have to provide for as many people as it would without this rule, allowing China to remain the juggernaut of a country that it is today. Ashton Herd -
Reunification of Germany
On October 3, 1990, the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) joined together to become one country, Germany. Once Germany reunited, the economy of the East began to decrease which lead to recession and social tension. But, by 1994, all was back to normal. Due to the reunification, Germany was no longer two seperate countries and were again one. Richard
