The compass is the simplest and most ancient navigational device. Navigating the terrain with a compass is simple: the magnetized needle always points north. Known to every student, the device has a very long and interesting history.


Looking at modern astronomical or radio compasses, it is hard to imagine that their prototype - a piece of magnetic ore that people came up with to use to find directions - appeared long before the birth of Christ.

And again the Chinese

Like many other inventions that mankind still uses to this day, the compass was invented by the ancient Chinese. According to some sources, prehistoric compasses appeared three millennia BC, according to others - not earlier than the 2nd century BC.

The first version is based more on myths than on historical facts. In China, Emperor Huangdi is revered, who ruled the country around 2600 BC. He is credited with the invention of the first compass, with the help of which the ruler found a way in the desert and saved his army from certain death. However, historically reliable information about this person does not exist.

Another hypothesis says that in the era of the Han Dynasty (in the 1st-2nd century BC), the Chinese already used the compass. This compass was a magnetized object with a semicircular base that turned, always pointing to one side of the world.


It is authentically known that during the Song Dynasty (10-13 centuries AD), the Chinese had compasses, which they used to navigate in the deserts.

Further distribution of the compass

From the Chinese, the compass came to the Arabs. The Arabs were good sailors, they needed a means of navigation, so they liked the idea of ​​a compass. The 13th century Arabic compass is a magnetized object that was lowered into a vessel of water. The minimum friction force allowed the object to move freely, turning to one of the cardinal points. In this form, the prototype of the modern compass came to the Europeans.

For European navigators, a navigational device was vital, and they quickly improved the Arab device. The inventor of the European compass, which not only indicates the north-south direction, but allows you to more accurately navigate the cardinal points, is the Italian Flavio Joya. He divided the compass dial into 16 divisions.

In addition, Joya finally installed the arrow on a thin hairpin (this idea was previously used in some models of compasses), and poured water into the bowl to reduce friction in the axis. This happened in the 14th century. Since then, the design of the compass has undergone significant changes, but Joya's idea is used in all modern magnetic compasses to this day.

Modern varieties of compasses

Several types of compass have been developed for use in various industries.

Magnetic compasses based on the action of the earth's magnetic field. The magnetized element always occupies a position parallel to the meridians and points to the magnetic poles of the planet. A successful model of a magnetic compass is a compass invented by our compatriot, a talented engineer Adrianov and named after him.

This is a well-known compass with an arrow that can be stopped with a stopper. For precise orientation, Adrianov's compass is equipped with a scale and two additional arrows (front sight and rear sight).

Electromagnetic compass uses the phenomenon of electromagnetic induction. In such compasses, the stator (fixed part) is the Earth, and the rotor (moving part) is a frame with a winding. Electromagnetic compasses are used in aircraft and ships because they avoid the effect of magnetization from a metal case and minimize the error.

Gyro-compass is based on the use of a special device - a gyroscope, and is distinguished by the fact that it points not to the magnetic, but to the geographical pole. Invention of German engineers in the early 20th century.

Electronic compasses created in recent decades. In fact, these are not compasses, but devices that pick up a signal from satellites and show the direction using a satellite navigation system.

The magnetic compass is one of the greatest discoveries in human history. It was thanks to this device that the Great geographical discoveries became possible.

What is a compass and what is it for?

The compass is an amazing device, using which you can always determine your exact location relative to the cardinal points. Undoubtedly, his invention is one of the greatest achievements of mankind, thanks to which all the great geographical discoveries were perfected. The invention of this device has the same significance for navigation as the beginning of the use of gunpowder in military affairs. Thanks to the compass, cartography has risen to a new level.

In order to accurately lay routes (primarily by sea), you need to know where you are and in which direction you are heading. Ancient sailors determined their location using the sun and stars. But they were not always visible. In the old days, ships tried not to go out to sea and stay close to the coast. According to the landmarks on the shore, the sailors determined their position.

Only the invention of the compass and sextant made it possible to make long journeys and discover distant lands. Who invented the compass is not exactly known. It is believed that this device was invented in ancient China. However, then it was repeatedly improved, and the device that exists today bears very little resemblance to its distant ancestor.

The principle of the compass is that the magnetic needle interacts with the Earth's magnetic field and is located along the planet's lines of force.

Simply put, the magnetic needle will always be rotated along the magnetic line of the Earth. One of its ends will point to the North magnetic pole of our planet, and the other - to the South Pole.

The invention of the compass

What people first guessed to use the Earth's magnetic field to determine their exact position relative to the cardinal points? Scientists believe that they were Chinese.

Historians suggest that the first compass was invented in China during the Han Dynasty. It was the Chinese who discovered the amazing properties of magnetic iron ore. True, they used this mineral at first not for navigation, but for divination. Their description can be found in the ancient Chinese treatise "Lunheng".

The Chinese were the first to use magnetized iron to determine the cardinal points. Even the name of the scientist is called - Shen Gua, who lived during the Song Dynasty. First, special molds were cast from magnetic iron, which were then placed in a vessel with water. In 1119, Zhu Yu proposed the use of a compass with a needle. This is reported in the Chinese treatise "Table Talk in Ningzhou".

There is a description of another ancient Chinese compass, made in the form of a spoon with a thin handle. The spoon was made of magnetic material. It was installed on a polished surface, so that the handle of the spoon did not touch the surface. It was he who showed the sides of the world. The polished surface was often decorated with the signs of the Zodiac or designations of the countries of the world.

This device is ranked among the four great Chinese inventions: gunpowder, paper, printing and the compass. But, as you understand, the information about that distant era is rather vague and uncertain, so many scientists doubt it.

Compass in Europe and the East

It is believed that the ancient Chinese used the compass to navigate the deserts. They were also equipped with Chinese ships.

In the XII century, a similar device appeared among the Arabs. It remains not entirely clear: they themselves invented it or borrowed it from the Chinese. In Europe, the compass appeared in the XII or XIII century. Some scientists believe that the Europeans borrowed his device from the Arabs, others argue that they thought of this invention on their own. The first to use the compass were Italian sailors.

Mentions of this device can be found in the Kipchaks in 1282 and in al-Makrizi. Both of them describe the use of the compass at sea. It was adopted from the Italians by the Spaniards and the Portuguese, and then by the British and French. It was the use of this device that allowed Europeans to discover new continents, cross oceans and make the first trip around the world.

What did the first devices look like?

At that time, the compass was very different from the device that we are used to seeing today. At first, it was a container of water in which a piece of wood or cork floated, a magnetic needle was inserted into it. To protect the vessel from wind and water, they began to cover it with glass.

This instrument was not very accurate. The magnetic needle looked like a thick needle. It is worth adding that the first devices were very expensive, and only very wealthy people had the opportunity to purchase them. Then there was an improvement of this device.

In the XIV century, the Italian scientist Flavio Gioia proposed to put a magnetic needle on a vertical axis, and attach a coil to the arrow, dividing it into 16 points. This innovation was very much liked by the sailors. A century later, the coil was already broken into 32 points, and it became even more convenient. The compass itself began to be placed in a special suspension in order to reduce the influence of sea rolling on it.

In the 17th century, a direction finder appeared - a special ruler with sights, which was fixed on the lid. The device has become even more convenient.

Modern appliances

Nowadays, despite the advent of satellite navigation, a gyrocompass, an ordinary magnetic compass continues to faithfully serve people. Of course, modern appliances bear little resemblance to their medieval predecessors. They are made using the latest technology and materials.

Today, the usual magnetic compass is most often used by tourists, geologists, climbers, travelers and just lovers of excursions and hikes. Ships and aircraft have long been using other, more advanced instruments. An electromagnetic compass that eliminates interference from the metal hull of the ship, a gyrocompass that accurately indicates the geographic pole or satellite navigation devices.

But of all the instruments that indicate the direction and cardinal points, the ordinary compass is the simplest and most unpretentious. It does not require electricity, it is simple, convenient and reliable. And will always show you the right direction to a safe harbor.

Where and when was printing invented?

Typography (copying texts from matrices) was invented in China in 770 AD.

Under what khans did the Golden Horde reach the apogee of its power and who put an end to its existence?

The Golden Horde reached its maximum power under Khan Uzbek (1312–1342) and his successor Khan Dzhanibek (1342–1357). The military forces of this feudal state under Uzbek numbered up to 300 thousand people. However, the unrest, which began in 1357 with the assassination of Khan Dzhanibek, marked the beginning of the disintegration of the Horde. From 1357 to 1380 more than 25 khans ascended the throne of the Golden Horde. In the 1360s-1370s, the temnik Mamai became the de facto ruler. In the early 1360s, Khorezm fell away from the Golden Horde, the lands in the Dnieper River basin were captured by the Polish and Lithuanian kingdoms, and Astrakhan separated. Mamai also had to face the growing alliance of Russian principalities headed by Moscow. Mamai's attempt in 1380 to weaken Russia again through a predatory campaign led to the defeat of the Mongol-Tatars by the united Russian troops in the Battle of Kulikovo. Under Khan Tokhtamysh (1380–1395), the unrest ceased and the central government began to control the main territory of the Golden Horde. Tokhtamysh in 1380 defeated the army of Mamai on the Kalka River, in 1382 he went to Moscow, which he captured by deceit and burned. After strengthening his power, he opposed the Samarkand Emir Timur. As a result of several devastating campaigns, Timur defeated the troops of Tokhtamysh, captured and destroyed the Volga cities, including the Golden Horde capital Saray-Berke, and robbed the cities of Crimea. The Golden Horde was dealt a blow from which it could no longer recover.

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Glass has been known to mankind for many centuries. Archaeological finds prove that the technology of glass production was known in the Middle East as early as the 3rd century BC. Amulets and beads dating back to 7000 BC have been found on the territory of Egypt. But who and when, and most importantly for what purpose invented this wonderful material, is not known for certain.

Versions about the appearance of glass

There are several versions of the origin of glass. Some scientists believe that this material was obtained during the smelting of copper. Others argue that they received it during the firing of clay products. And according to the statements of the ancient Roman historian Pliny the Elder, mankind owes the appearance of glass to the Phoenician merchants, who made fires right on the sand in the parking lots and covered them with pieces of lime.

Be that as it may, but for many years glass was an exquisite luxury available only to the richest and most influential. And only with the advent of a new era, when the glass blowing tube was invented in Syria, mass production began and glass products became more affordable, and the technology began to spread throughout the countries. Alexandria became the most famous center for the manufacture of glass products in the East. The ancient Romans are also considered skillful glassmakers.

Development of glassmaking in Europe

From the east, glass-making technology came to European countries. Here it has been modified and developed to new levels. First of all, the changes affected raw materials. The soda has been replaced with the more common potash.

A significant event was the invention in the 13th century by German craftsmen of sheet glass, which was subsequently improved by the Venetians. The quality of such glasses was low, it was the property of only a select few. It could be seen only in churches and castles, and now even custom-made glass doors are not a novelty for anyone.

For a long time, the largest European centers for the production of glass products were Venice and Bohemia. A technology for producing colored glass was developed. Glassblowers kept the secrets of their craft very strictly, because each area had its own technologies and manufacturing features.

In the 17th century, the primacy of glass production passed to the masters of Foggy Albion. In many ways, this was facilitated by the discovery in the 1670s. English glassblower George Ravenscroft. He introduced lead compounds into glass and obtained an analogue of rock crystal, which was of high quality and easily cut.

Industrial glass production

Despite the high popularity of glass products, only by the end of the 19th century did their production take on an industrial scale. A great contribution to the development of the glass industry was made by:

• the German scientist Otto Schott, who studied the dependence of the optical and thermal properties of glass on the composition of the feedstock;
• Friedrich Simmens invented a structurally new furnace, which ensured the production of large volumes of glass mass;
• American engineer Michael Owens. His automatic bottle making machine quickly spread throughout the United States;
• Belgian inventor Fourko. The device proposed by him made it possible to continuously obtain a glass sheet of constant thickness. This invention was improved by Emile Bicherois. The changes made have greatly simplified the process of glass processing.

Many scientists contributed their knowledge and skills to the development of glassmaking. The equipment was improved, new quantitative and qualitative compositions of raw materials were proposed, and now it is difficult to imagine the world without glass and various products from it.

Good afternoon friends. Now most of the houses in our country have computers. We are so used to them that they become an integral part of the house. Many people without the Internet do not see the meaning of their existence.

People are already accustomed to, if something is unknown, you need to look on the Internet. How to make a veranda - Look it up on the internet. What will the weather be like soon? Also, the internet will tell you easily.

When did the Internet appear, and in what year? Most users find it difficult to answer about this, despite the fact that it has become so firmly established in our lives. But, let's then, let's try to deal with this issue?

So, what is the Internet, or global network? I would call it a community of computers connected to each other through special cables or using wave connections. Computers can range from small in size, like Pocket PCs, to huge in size, with a whole lot of knowledge, processing quite a lot of information.

The history of the Internet is quite interesting. But what is she? When did the world wide web appear? The story of the appearance of the global network begins with the first computer. I already wrote an article - ? But, about the first appearance of the Internet, I have not yet mentioned.

When did the Internet appear

The prerequisites for the emergence of the worldwide network originate in the 50s of the last century. We can say that the Internet began to emerge with the beginning of the Cold War. In the 1950s, the USSR, in opposition to the United States, began to create its own intercontinental missiles.

These missiles could deliver a nuclear charge to the territory of America. This made the Americans very worried. They began to think about lightning-fast data transmission devices if a war broke out.

At that time, the ARPA agency was responsible for creating new technologies for the US Army. It also gave the idea to the US government to use networked computers for this. The nodes of this network were located in special rooms that would not fail if one or more of them were destroyed. Of course, all this was controlled by the Pentagon.

4 companies were commissioned to create such a network: - The University of Utah, the University of Los Angeles, the California and Stanford Research Center.

The American Department of Defense followed these studies and also dealt with their finances. The basis for the emergence of the Internet was the technology that was created by US engineer Leonard Clayton in 1961.

Its essence is that information flows were divided into packets (sequence) through a special network, and their chain can be transmitted through the network. At the same time, there are alternate routes between the 2 nodes. If one refuses, the information will go to another.

To speed up the work of your installed Windows, I recommend: - Computer accelerator.

What year did the Internet appear

Tests have begun. One of the first passed on October 29, 1969. Two PCs located 640 km apart were connected to each other. Moreover, the first computer was at Stanford University, and the second, at California. Communication cables were rented from the telephone company.

creators of the ARPANET

The connection speed was 56 Kbps. The essence of the experiment: - one of the employees of Charlie Kline from Los Angeles sent the word LOGIN. The other, Bill Duvall of Stanford, was supposed to see it on his screen and relay it over the phone.

At nine in the evening they made their first attempt, but Charlie Kline managed to send only 3 LOG characters. Half past eleven, the experiment was repeated once more. And he succeeded! Bill Duval saw the word LOGIN perfectly.

To the question - when the Internet appeared, you can answer 10/29/69! It's like his birthday! This network was called ARPANET. By the end of 1969, all these universities were combined into one network.

Hence, in connection with the development of the packet switching network, a fast and high-quality digital communication was created, based not on telephone lines. ARPANET was not only the ancestor of codes and files for the military, but also became something of a springboard for other networks.

But the history of the global network continued, and in 1971 a certain Ray Tomlinson created e-mail and wrote a program thanks to which people could write letters to each other on the Internet. Tomlinson also created the @ (dog) icon. This sign is still part of any email address.

Interesting fact! The @ sign is called differently in different countries - the Greeks call it a little duck, the Germans - a hanging monkey, the Danes - an appendage of an Elephant, and so on.

The first international connection took place in 1972. Computers from Norway and Great Britain were connected. In the same year, a satellite connection was launched with a university in Hawaii. The number of hosts in 1977 became 100.

Internet protocol TCP/IP

The next major event happened in 1983. In this year, ARPANET changed the transmission of information from NCP to TCP / IP. This protocol for transmitting and receiving information is still used today.

TCP - deals with the transformation of messages into a stream of information on the side that transmits data. Then he also collects packets back into messages, only on the side that receives.

IP - deals with the management of packet addresses. IP sends them in the right directions between different nodes of the global network and allows the association of various networks.

When the IP (Internet Protocol) protocol appeared, the name internet acquired the worldwide status of a huge association of many computers for internet communication.

Since the mid-eighties, the NSFNET network began its creation, which united a huge number of PCs located in different universities in America. Along with this, other networks began to be created, such as CSNET, BITNET and so on. Around the mid-nineties, the ARPANET network was eliminated, while the servers of this network were connected to other networks.

When did the Internet appear in Russia

In the Russian Federation, the Kurchatov Institute (Institute of Atomic Energy) was the first of the institutes to be connected to the global network in the early eighties. Also, in the nineties, a UNIX network was created - RELCOM. This network was connected DEMOS and IAE.

DEMOS was created at the end of the winter of 1989 with the aim of developing software and creating new local networks of computers. This network has been connected to the European UNIX EUnet since August of the same year.

It is the first commercial company in the Soviet Union to establish data exchange with Western networks.

When did the abbreviation WWW appear?

WWW stands for World Wide Web, which means World Wide Web. This is a very important stage in the creation of the Internet. It was created in 1991. Its basis is the use of hypertext.

Hypertext is a text containing a link to another fragment of this text (Web - page) of the same document or to another document. When a person clicks on such a link, the browser or other program takes the user to the piece of text to which it directs him.

Who Invented the World Wide Web

It was invented by Briton Tim Berners-Lee and Robert Cayo. In history, it was Tim who made the first server. He also created the first browser. Tim used hypertext links to better navigate the web.

Who created the first website

I think you have already guessed that the first site was created by the same Tim Berners-Lee. He created it in the ninetieth year. The site had the address http://info.cern.ch/ .

What did the first browser look like?

The creation of the WWW service and browsers that can display Web pages on a PC has led to a real boom in the global network. The GUI browser appeared in 1993. It was the first browser of its kind and was called NCSA Mosaic.

All these discoveries and inventions, especially the WWW, created the conditions for connecting the mass user to the Internet. Nowadays, everyone can travel through the expanses of the world wide web. The number of people using the Internet is increasing exponentially.

When the Internet appeared, in what year, you now know. I wish you success!

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