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6000 BCE
Ancient Egyptians
Ancient Egyptians built some of the earliest boats recorded. Egyptians had civilization along the Nile and they used the river for trade and carried goods to other Mediterranean lands. They originally used papyrus for their rafts but over time they needed large ships so they could cross oceans. They use the model of papyrus boats but these were more study and had sails opposed to rows. In 4000 BC the ancient Egyptians built the first sailing vessels. -
600 BCE
First Sea Routes
Phoenicians developed sea routes while searching for tin and other resources. The route was around the Mediterranean and into the Indian Ocean and Red Sea. By 590 BC they made it to Africa and then went to England sailing the Western European coast. Even though the ancient Egyptians understood celestial navigation, they stayed within sight of land -
325 BCE
First Diving Bell
Alexander the Great was the first to use a diving bell. He used the diving bell during the siege of Tyre and had combat divers working with it. The divers used the bells to clean out debris from the harbor. They were able to see though the colored glass on the bell. Alexander took multiple trips with the diving bell to see the cleaning process of the harbor. -
Jan 1, 1002
Leif Erikson
The first European to land in North America is the norse explorer Leif Erikson and was known for his voyage. Erikson was returning to Greenland and ended up on the North American continent. He called the region Vinland. He came across the name by the abundance of wild grapes there and the land. During this voyage he also established a Norse settlement which is located on what is now Canada on the tip of Newfoundland. -
Jan 1, 1492
Voyage of Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus, a Spanish explorer set out on a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain. He wanted to find a direct passage from Europe to Asia, but didn’t succeed. During his voyage he ended up finding the Americas. Although he found the New World, he didn't really discover it because people have been living there. His voyage ended up marking the beginning of conquest and colonization of trans-Atlantic. -
First Submarine
The world’s first submarine was built in 1620 by a dutch physician named Cornelis Drebbel. The boat is covered in leather and is made of wood with iron reinforced in it. The inside of the boat has six seats on each side fitting twelve oarsmen. The oars stick out the sides of the boat and have leather sleeves that tightly fit around the sides so water can’t get in. Drebbel used the submarine multiple times in the Thames River and went twelve to fifteen feet deep. -
First Enclosed Diving Device
Englishman John Lethbridge developed the first enclosed diving device. He made a one- man diving dress that was completely enclosed. The device was made of a barrel of air covered in leather, a glass porthole for viewing, and watertight sleeves connected to two arm holes. Also in 1715 Chevalier de Beauve developed the first waterproof suit. The suit has a helmet with two leather tubes attached to the helmet and the surface which supplies air. -
Cook Expeditions
James cook was well known for his Cook Expeditions. In his first expedition in 1766, he went on a voyage to the Pacific Ocean. He observed and recorded the transit of Venus across the sun and recorded determining longitude.
In 1772 he had a expedition to search for Terra Australis. While on this voyage he found New Zealand wasn’t attached to a larger landmass.On his last voyage he wanted to locate a NorthWest Passage around the American Continent. In 1778 he found the Hawaiian Islands -
First use of Scuba
The first use of scuba was in 1825. An underwater breathing apparatus knows as a scuba was developed by William H. James. With the scuba thee is a helmet the diver wears that carries a supply of compressed air. The compressed air is in a cast-iron belt that is secured around the waist. The scuba device allows the diver to stay underwater for up to an hour. -
The voyage of the H.M.S. Challenge
The voyage of the H.M.S. Challenger began a four year trip around the world starting in Portsmouth, England. Scientists tested the temperature, density, and salinity of the seawater. They collected information about meteorology, ocean currents, and sediment. The scientist discovered hundreds of species that were unknown and discovered chains of underwater mountains. All the research found was put together into The Challenger Report. This voyage displayed the basis of modern oceanography. -
Mid-Atlantic Ridge
In 1953 the Mid-Atlantic Ridge was discovered. An american geologist named Marie Tharp discovered a rift valley in the Atlantic Ocean. They later found that the rift valley continued 40,000 miles along the ocean floor. The finding of the ridge provides evidence for the theory of continental drift. This continental drift is known now today as plate tectonics. -
The first solo drive to the Mariana Trench (present day)
The first solo drive to the Mariana Trench was on March 25, 2012. James Cameron was the first person to do a solo dive to the bottom of the deepest part of the ocean, the Mariana Trench. He dived to the bottom which was about 35,756 feet deep and seven miles down. When he was on the bottom he spent about three hours filming and then returned to the surface. He was filming because he is a Hollywood director.
