Navigating History

585BC

Thales of Miletus claims that lodestone attracts iron because it has a soul

1111

The first reference— again Chinese—to ships sailing using a magnetic compass: ‘In dark weather they look at the south pointing needle’

1600

Dr William Gilbert claims that the world is a giant magnet. He designs an improved, but by no means perfect, compass

1701

After two long voyages, Sir Edmond

publishes The General Chart of the Variation of the Compass, making it easier for travellers to find true north

1876

Prof Sir William Thomson patents a new compass and binnacle, perhaps the first marine compass that can truly be described as accurate. By 1907, he has sold more than 10,000 of them

1943

Miniature compasses and maps printed on silk are hidden in Monopoly board games and sent to prisoners of war in Germany to help them escape

1040

An ancient Chinese text called Wujing Zongyao describes how to make a simple compass by magnetising a thin leaf of iron into the shape of a fish and floating it in a bowl of water

1302

The first dry mariner’s compass—a freely pivoting needle on a pin, enclosed in a box with a cover and wind rose—is developed. Later compasses were suspended from a gimbal to reduce the effect of motion at sea. This invention transforms international trade and allows Europeans to explore the rest of the world

1690

Sir Edmond Halley shows a model of a liquid compass—but it’s another 400 years before the concept is perfected

1839

George Airy works out how to correct compasses using magnets. He charges one ship owner £100 for making a correction that takes him only a few hours

1908

The first accurate directional gyrocompass goes into production, ensuring that travellers can always find true north