First compass
- Who
- China
- What
- First
- Where
- China
- When
- 1000
The Chinese invented the first compass as early as the 3rd Century BC and subsequently developed the first magnetic compass in the 11th Century AD – using Lodestone. The introduction of magnetic compasses amounted to a cartographical revolution – literally changing the “direction” of mapmaking – making it possible to create maps based on direct observation using an instrument.