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2700 BCE
Tea-Everyday objects
The Chinese began drinking tea since 2700 B.C. By the 9th century, most Chinese were drinking tea. It became a staple of China and it's citizens. Today, most people drink tea or other forms of caffeine. Tea has also been major export of China for thousands of years. -
201 BCE
The production of Steel-Industry
The Chinese invented steel before 200 B.C. This is a very useful metal, and it was found throughout China. The first Chinese steel was made from cast-iron. We still use steel in our society today. Steel is still a major export of China today. -
650
The invention of paper-Industry
In the 7th century, the Chinese invented paper. They were the only people in the world that knew how to make paper for more than 500 years. This was used for writing and printing money. This is important because we use paper everyday in some way. -
681
Printing-Industry
In the 7th Century, the Chinese began to print writing onto paper. After the invention of paper, the Chinese looked for a way to mass produce writing without scribes. They found out that they could dip blocks of letters in ink, and the put them on machines that could print. This was revolutionary because it allowed all in China to read the same message. We today thank the Chinese for allowing us to print articles, newspapers, etc. -
850
Gunpowder-Military
Gunpowder was discovered probably before the 9th century. However, Alchemists wrote down a formula in 850. Gunpowder revolutionized the Chinese military. It allowed them to shoot projectiles at enemies, making them easier to kill and saved the lives of many of their own troops, due to the lack of close-quarters fighting. In the countries of today, their military is powered bu=y gunpowder. Lots and lots of gunpowder -
852
Paper money- Everyday object
After the invention of paper and printing, the Chinese that they could change their currency from coins to paper. This make the currency easier to keep track of and it weighed less than the coins. Europeans soon caught wind of this, and started to develop their own paper money. Today, most countries use paper currency -
950
Flamethrower-Military
In the 10th Century, the Chinese made the flamethrower. This was created when gunpowder was mixed with oil and then lit. This was used to flush out enemies in entrenchments and bunkers. It is important because it inspired flamethrowers for middle age armies and modern flamethrowers. -
1092
Chinese Clock- Everyday Object
The Chinese first invented a clock. It was more accurate than other clocks at that time. It was powered by a wheel and dripping water. This invention is important because it inspired European clocks and clocks are very important to our society. It's how we tell time. -
1279
Disease prevention-Discovery
The Chinese were the first society to develop countermeasures to diseases. One strategy was to steam the clothes of the sick people. This worked very well because we now the the heat kills germs. This saved the lives of people who could of been infected by the germs. -
1300
Rockets and Bombs- Military
By the 1300s, China had many rockets. They used gunpowder to launch the projectile. Inside of the rocket, there was a bomb and/or more gunpowder. The rocket then exploded on impact or when the fuse burnt out. This, with early guns, allowed China to conquer their enemies(Except for the Mongols). Modern militaries use bombs, missiles, and rockets, which descended from the Chinese rockets.
