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Timeline Of Historic Inventions

Subjects : trivia, history
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
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  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Thomas Newcomen builds the first steam engine to pump water out of mines. Newcomen's engine - unlike Thomas Savery's - used a piston.






2. Three-masted ship (mizzen - on Syracusia) under Hiero II of Syracuse - Sicily






3. Watermill (grain mill) by Greek engineers in Eastern Mediterranean (see also List of ancient watermills)






4. Arch dam (Glanum Dam) in Gallia Narbonensis - Roman Republic (see also List of Roman dams)






5. Morphine in Paderborn - Germany - Morphine was discovered as the first active alkaloid extracted from the opium poppy plant in December 1804 by Friedrich Sert






6. Glue in Italy






7. Catapult in Ancient Greece (incl. Sicily)






8. Waterway connecting two seas (Ancient Suez Canal) by Greek engineers under Ptolemy II (283






9. Numerical zero in Ancient India - The concept of zero as a number - and not merely a symbol for separation is attributed toIndia. In India - practical calculations were carried out using zero - which was treated like any other number by the 9th centu






10. Banknote in Tang Dynasty China - The banknote was first developed in China during the Tang and Song dynasties - starting in the 7th century. Its roots were in merchant receipts of deposit during the Tang Dynasty (618






11. Mariner's compass (wet compass) in Ancient China - The earliest recorded use of magnetized needle for navigational purposes at sea is found in Zhu Yu's book Pingzhou Table Talks of 1119 (written from 1111 to 1117). The typical Chinese navigational co






12. Fire and then cooking






13. Jacquard loom (loom controlled by punched card) - Joseph Marie Jacquard






14. The tank was invented by Ernest Swinton - although the British Royal Commission on Awards recognised a South Australian named Lance de Mole who had submitted a proposal to the British War Office - for a 'chain-rail vehicle which could be easily stee






15. Shelter construction






16. First use of nuclear power to produce electricity for households in Arco - Idaho






17. DVD is an optical disc storage format - invented and developed by Philips - Sony - Toshiba - and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions.






18. Mariner's astrolabe on Portuguese circumnavigation of Africa






19. The pattern-tracing lathe (actually more like a shaper) is completed by Thomas Blanchard for the U.S. Ordnance Dept. The lathe could copy symmetrical shapes and was used for making gun stocks - and later - ax handles. The lathe's patent was in force






20. Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit invents the alcohol thermometer.






21. Paper in Ancient China - Although it is recorded that the Han Dynasty (202 BC






22. Numerical zero in Ancient India - The concept of zero as a number - and not merely a symbol for separation is attributed toIndia. In India - practical calculations were carried out using zero - which was treated like any other number by the 9th centu






23. Flute in Germany






24. Segmental arch bridge (e.g. Pont-Saint-Martin or Ponte San Lorenzo) in Italy - Roman Republic






25. Fore-and-aft rig (spritsail) in Ancient Greece






26. James Hargreaves invented the spinning jenny.






27. Parachute (with frame) in Renaissance Italy






28. Cloth woven from flax fiber






29. Mariner's compass (wet compass) in Ancient China - The earliest recorded use of magnetized needle for navigational purposes at sea is found in Zhu Yu's book Pingzhou Table Talks of 1119 (written from 1111 to 1117). The typical Chinese navigational co






30. Water wheel in Hellenistic kingdoms described by Philo of Byzantium (ca. 280






31. Spears in Germany






32. Spears in Germany






33. Pigments in Zambia






34. Printing press in Mainz - Germany - The printing press was invented in the Holy Roman Empire by Johannes Gutenberg around 1440 - based on existing screw presses. The first confirmed record of a press appeared in a 1439 lawsuit against Gutenberg.






35. Pointed arch bridge (Karamagara Bridge) in Cappadocia - Eastern Roman Empire






36. Sakia gear in Hellenistic Egypt






37. Stephen Hales takes measurements of blood pressure.






38. Crossbow in Ancient China and Ancient Greece - In Ancient China - the earliest evidence of bronze crossbow bolts dates as early as mid-5th century BC in Yutaishan - Hubei.In Ancient Greece - the terminus ante quem of the gastraphetes is 421 BC.






39. Wind power in an open air stream is thus proportional to the third power of the wind speed; the available power increases eightfold when the wind speed doubles. Wind turbines for grid electricity therefore need to be especially efficient at greater w






40. Bow






41. Double-entry bookkeeping system codified by Luca Pacioli






42. Arch-gravity dam (e.g. PuyForadado Dam or Kasserine Dam) in Roman Empire






43. Arc lamp - Humphry Davy (exact date unclear; not practical as a light source until generators)






44. Papyrus paper invented by ancient Egyptians by interlocking the stems of the Papyrus plant in the lower Nile.






45. Railway steam locomotive - Richard Trevithick






46. Morphine in Paderborn - Germany - Morphine was discovered as the first active alkaloid extracted from the opium poppy plant in December 1804 by Friedrich Sert






47. Mariner's astrolabe on Portuguese circumnavigation of Africa






48. Eyeglasses in Italy






49. Printing press in Mainz - Germany - The printing press was invented in the Holy Roman Empire by Johannes Gutenberg around 1440 - based on existing screw presses. The first confirmed record of a press appeared in a 1439 lawsuit against Gutenberg.






50. Papyrus paper invented by ancient Egyptians by interlocking the stems of the Papyrus plant in the lower Nile.