Timeline of historic inventions - 1st millennium CE
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The timeline of historic inventions is a chronological list of particularly important or significant technological inventions.
Note: Dates for inventions are often controversial. Inventions are often invented by several inventors around the same time, or may be invented in an impractical form many years before another inventor improves the invention into a more practical form. Where there is ambiguity, the date of the first known working version of the invention is used here.
1st millennium CE
1st-5th centuries
- 1-100 CE: Junk ship in China
- 1-100 CE: Junk rudder in China[64]
- 38 CE: Hydraulic-powered bellows: Du Shi
- 50 CE: Mouldboard plough in China and Gaul
- 77 CE: Encyclopedia (comprehensive work): Pliny the Elder[8]
- 78-139: Hydraulic-powered armillary sphere: Zhang Heng
- 78-139: Seismometer: Zhang Heng
- 100s: Steam power: Hero of Alexandria in Roman Egypt
- 100s: Vending machine: Hero of Alexandria
- 100s: Force pump: Hero of Alexandria
- 100s: Carding in India[65]
- 105: Paper: Cai Lun in China[66]
- 132: Rudimentary Seismometer: Zhang Heng in China
- 180: Rotary fan: Ding Huan in China
- 180: Winnowing fan: Ding Huan in China
- 200s: Kongming lantern (Hot air balloon) in China
- 200s: Horseshoes in Germany
- 200-400: Stepwell in India[67]
- Combination lock in Roman Empire[68]
- 300s: Corrosion-resistant iron: Iron pillar of Delhi in India[69]
- 300s: Toothpaste in Roman Egypt
- 400s: Horse collar in China
- 400s: Cotton gin in India[70]
- Fore-and-aft rig in India[71]
- Kamal in India[72]
- Prayer wheel: Tibet[73]
- Three-masted merchant vessel in China[74]
- Woodblock printing in China
6th-8th centuries
- 500s: Chaturanga, a precursor of chess: India[75]
- 500s: Pachisi, a precursor of Ludo: India[76]
- 500s: Incense clock in India[77][78]
- 589: Toilet paper: Yan Zhitui in China
- 605: Fully-stone open-spandrel segmental arch bridge: Li Chun in China
- 618-700: Porcelain in China
- 618-907: Water-powered rotary fan in China
- 673: Greek fire flamethrower: Kallinikos of Heliopolis
- 700: Quill pen
- 700-900: Charitable trust in the Arab Empire[79][80]
- 700s: Destructive distillation: Arabic chemists[81]
- 700s: Inoculation: Madhav in India[82]
- 721-815: Pure distillation: Geber[83]
- 721-815: Distilled alcohol: Geber[84]
- 721-815: Nitric acid: Geber[85]
- 721-815: Hydrochloric acid: Geber[85]
- 721-815: Sulfuric acid: Geber[85][86]
- 721-815: Acetic acid: Geber[87][88]
- 721-815: Citric acid: Geber[87]
- 721-815: Tartaric acid: Geber[87]
- 721-815: Aqua regia: Geber[85]
- 721-815: Evacuation tube: Geber[89]
- 721-815: Aludel: Geber[89]
- 721-925: Rose water: Geber, Al-Kindi (Alkindus), Muhammad ibn Zakarīya Rāzi (Rhazes)[89]
- 721-925: Funnel: Geber, Al-Kindi, Muhammad ibn Zakarīya Rāzi[89]
- 721-925: Sieve: Geber, Al-Kindi, Muhammad ibn Zakarīya Rāzi[89]
- 754: Pharmacy in Baghdad[90]
- 754: Drugstore in Baghdad[90]
- 758-764: Tar pavement in Baghdad[81]
- 763-800: Public hospital: Harun al-Rashid[91]
- 763-800: Psychiatric hospital: Bimaristan in Baghdad[92]
- 794: Paper mill in Baghdad[93]
- Hospital: Bimaristan in the Middle East
- Amalgamation: Arabic chemists[89]
- Ceration: Arabic chemists[89]
- Dry distillation: Arabic chemists
- Solution: Arabic chemists[89]
- Sublimation: Arabic chemists[83][89]
- Distilled water: Arabic chemists[94]
- Fusible alloy: Arabic chemists[89]
- Petrol: Arabic chemists[95]
- Apothecary: Arabic physicians[96]
- Lateen in India[71]
9th-10th centuries
- 700-1000: Spinning wheel in India[97]
- 800-850: Quadrant: Muhammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī (Algorismi)[98]
- 800-850: Mural instrument: Muhammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī[98]
- 800-850: Sine quadrant: Muhammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī[98]
- 800-850: Horary quadrant: Muhammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī[98]
- 800-850: Alhidade: Muhammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī[99]
- 800-857: Under-arm deodorant: Ziryab[100]
- 800-857: Beauty parlour: Ziryab[101]
- 800-857: Chemical depilatory: Ziryab[101]
- 800-873: Valve: Banū Mūsā in Iraq[102]
- 800-873: Float valve: Banū Mūsā[102]
- 800-873: Feedback controller: Banū Mūsā[102]
- 800-873: Float chamber: Banū Mūsā[103]
- 800-873: Automatic control: Banū Mūsā[103]
- 800-873: Automatic flute player: Banū Mūsā[104]
- 800-873: Programmable machine: Banū Mūsā[104]
- 800-873: Trick drinking vessels: Banū Mūsā[105]
- 800-873: Gas mask: Banū Mūsā[105]
- 800-873: Grab: Banū Mūsā[105]
- 800-873: Clamshell grab: Banū Mūsā[105]
- 800-873: Fail-safe system: Banū Mūsā[105]
- 800-873: Mechanical musical instrument: Banū Mūsā[106]
- 800-873: Hydropowered organ: Banū Mūsā[106]
- 800-873: Hurricane lamp: Banū Mūsā[105]
- 800-873: Self-feeding oil lamp: Banū Mūsā[105]
- 800-873: Self-trimming oil lamp: Ahmad ibn Mūsā ibn Shākir[105]
- 800s: Muslin in Dhaka, Bengal[107][108]
- 800s: Stonepaste ceramics in Iraq[109]
- 800s: Black powder in China
- 800s: Gunpowder in China
- 800s: Water turbine in the Arab Empire[105]
- 800s: Universal sundial in Baghdad[110]
- 800s: Universal horary dial in Baghdad[111][112]
- 800s: Vertical-axle windmill in Afghanistan[113]
- 800s: Naphtha in Azerbaijan[81]
- 800s: Oil well in Azerbaijan[81]
- 800s: College: Madrasah in the Muslim world[114]
- 800-1000: Wind powered gristmills in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran[115]
- 800-1000: Sugar refinery in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran[115]
- 800-1000: Metal block printing in Egypt[116]
- c. 800-1000: Switch: Arabic engineers[117]
- 801-1000: Municipal solid waste handling: Al-Kindi, Qusta ibn Luqa, Muhammad ibn Zakarīya Rāzi, Ibn Al-Jazzar, al-Masihi[118]
- 810-887: Glass from stones: Abbas Ibn Firnas in al-Andalus[119]
- 810-887: convex lens
- 810-887: Clear colourless high-purity glass: Abbas Ibn Firnas[119][120]
- 810-887: Metronome: Abbas Ibn Firnas[121]
- 810-887: Artificial weather simulation: Abbas Ibn Firnas[121]
- 813-833: Medical school: Al-Ma'mun[91]
- 827: Mechanical singing bird automaton: Al-Ma'mun[122]
- 836-1000: Erectile dysfunction treatment: Muhammad ibn Zakarīya Rāzi, Thabit bin Qurra (Thebit), Ibn Al-Jazzar[123]
- 853-929: Observation tube: Muhammad ibn Jābir al-Harrānī al-Battānī (Albatenius)[124]
- 852: Parachute: Abbas Ibn Firnas in al-Andalus[125]
- 859: University: Fatima al-Fihri[126][127]
- 875: Hang glider: Abbas Ibn Firnas[121][128]
- 875: Artificial wing: Abbas Ibn Firnas[121][128]
- 875: Flight control frame: Abbas Ibn Firnas[121][128]
- c. 865-900: Kerosene: Muhammad ibn Zakarīya Rāzi (Rhazes) in Iraq[81][129]
- 865-925: Hard soap: Muhammad ibn Zakarīya Rāzi[130]
- 865-925: Chemotherapy: Muhammad ibn Zakarīya Rāzi[131]
- 865-925: Antiseptic: Muhammad ibn Zakarīya Rāzi[81]
- 900s: Banknote in China
- 900s: Fire lance in China
- 900s: Gun in China
- 900s: Milling factory in Baghdad[132]
- 900s: Cartographic grid in Baghdad[133]
- 900s: Graph paper in the Arab Empire[134][135][136]
- 900s: Horizontal-axle windmill in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran[113]
- 903-986: Timekeeping astrolabe: Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi (Azophi)[137]
- 904: Fire Arrow in China
- 919: Double-piston flamethrower in China
- 984: Pound lock: Qiao Weiyo
- 953: Fountain pen: Al-Muizz Lideenillah of Egypt[125][138][139]
- 960-1000: Restaurant in the Arab Empire[140]
- 994: Astronomical sextant: Abu-Mahmud al-Khujandi in Persia[141]
- 996: Geared mechanical astrolabe: Abū Rayhān al-Bīrūnī[142]
- Almucantar quadrant: Arabic astronomers[143]
- Navigational astrolabe: Arabic astronomers[144]
- Vertical sundial: Arabic astronomers[145]
- Polar sundial: Arabic astronomers[145]
- Coffee: Khalid in Ethiopia
- Shaving soap: Arabic chemists
- Reed level: Arabic engineers[146]
- Geared gristmill: Arabic engineers[147]
- Shatranj in Persia
- Paned window in the Arab Empire[148]
- Street lamp in the Arab Empire[148]
- Sherbet in the Arab Empire[149]
- Soft drink in the Arab Empire[149][150]
- Syrup in the Arab Empire[149]
- Mercury escapement mechanism in the Middle East
- Public library in the Arab Empire[151]
- Lending library in the Arab Empire[151]
- Library catalog in the Arab Empire[152]
- Firecracker in China
- Snakes and ladders in India
See also
- List of inventors
- List of emerging technologies
- English inventions and discoveries
- Inventions of the Islamic Golden Age
- List of Australian inventions
- List of Chinese inventions
- List of Indian inventions and discoveries
- List of Japanese inventions
- List of Korean inventions
- List of United States inventions
- Scottish inventions and discoveries
- Welsh inventions and discoveries
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