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<h2 id="astronomy">Astronomy</h2> <ul><li>June 1–24 – <a href="/facts/Johannes_Werner/mTXfnfrD">Johannes Werner</a> tracks the movement of a <a href="/facts/Comet/w34utQCd">comet</a>. It has been suggested that this was <a href="/facts/C%2f1861_J1/yqt87k1v">C/1861 J1</a>.</li> <li>November 5–6 – <a href="/facts/Nicolaus_Copernicus/RvzhHNQR">Nicolaus Copernicus</a> observes a <a href="/facts/Lunar_eclipse/cGSjtf1A">lunar eclipse</a> from Rome.</li></ul> <h2 id="cartography">Cartography</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Map_of_Juan_de_la_Cosa/ueL63b4L">Map of Juan de la Cosa</a>, the earliest to show the <a href="/facts/Americas/hEuUTL4K">Americas</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a></li> <li><i>approx. date</i> – <a href="/facts/Johannes_Stabius/t2R5syV6">Johannes Stabius</a> introduces the "<a href="/facts/Werner_projection/DwL36cUG">Werner projection</a>".</li></ul> <h2 id="cryptography">Cryptography</h2> <ul><li><i>approx. date</i> – <a href="/facts/Johannes_Trithemius/lwtRCGWU">Johannes Trithemius</a> of <a href="/facts/Spanheim/6vpl79wJ">Spanheim</a> writes <i>Steganographia</i> ("hidden writing"). Copies of the manuscript circulate for a hundred years.</li></ul> <h2 id="earth-science">Earth science</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Leonardo_da_Vinci/E83tcPl2">Leonardo da Vinci</a>, finding many <a href="/facts/Fossils/by7NzIA1">fossils</a> in canal building sites, proposes that fossil shells of marine animals are found on mountains because Earth undergoes transformations that cause areas once submerged to become exposed.</li></ul> <h2 id="exploration">Exploration</h2> <ul><li>March 9–April 22 – Expedition of <a href="/facts/Pedro_%25C3%2581lvares_Cabral/hmcfqnhA">Pedro Álvares Cabral</a>, with thirteen <a href="/facts/Caravel/qSoJrYlA">caravels</a>, sails from <a href="/facts/Lisbon/zFTcC99e">Lisbon</a> to Brazil, which he claims for Portugal.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a></li> <li>August 10 (<a href="/facts/St._Lawrence/CjAQyYBd">St. Lawrence</a>'s day) – <a href="/facts/Diogo_Dias/ns1CoBhy">Diogo Dias</a> becomes the first European to sight the island of <a href="/facts/Madagascar/ez12IAcY">Madagascar</a> (which he names <i>São Lourenço</i>).</li> <li><a href="/facts/Alonso_de_Ojeda/WbINaNY8">Alonso de Ojeda</a> and <a href="/facts/Amerigo_Vespucci/fvoffufF">Amerigo Vespucci</a> return to Spain from their expedition to <a href="/facts/Venezuela/eX1qnkln">Venezuela</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a></li></ul> <h2 id="medicine">Medicine</h2> <ul><li><i>approx. date</i> – <a href="/facts/Jacob_Nufer/D8Agu31r">Jacob Nufer</a>, a <a href="/facts/Old_Swiss_Confederacy/0j0hp0V1">Swiss</a> pig <a href="/facts/Gelding/8ReCcSsG">gelder</a>, supposedly performs the first recorded successful <a href="/facts/Caesarean_section/GJ623ers">caesarean section</a> on a living woman.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a></li></ul> <h2 id="pharmaceutics">Pharmaceutics</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Hieronymus_Brunschwygk/A4naNPSt">Hieronymus Brunschwygk</a>'s <i>Liber de arte distillandi de simplicibus</i>, known as the "Small Book (of Distillation)", describes <a href="/facts/Medicinal_herb/KUvkVQ8q">medicinal herbs</a> and the construction of <a href="/facts/Still/glfNFaUp">stills</a> for processing them.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> He will publish his "Big Book", dealing with the same subjects, in 1512.</li></ul> <h2 id="technology">Technology</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Leonardo_da_Vinci/E83tcPl2">Leonardo da Vinci</a> draws a <a href="/facts/Wheellock/cHgsoFmY">wheel-lock</a> <a href="/facts/Musket/YmnMv1F2">musket</a>, the first known appearance of this type of ignition, in which a spring mechanism causes a ratchet to strike sparks from iron and pyrites or flint. It will come into use, replacing <a href="/facts/Match/EQPsJa7J">match</a> ignition, about 15 years later. By this date, he has also designed the first <a href="/facts/Helicopter/chQF7H55">helicopter</a> (although it is probably unworkable).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a></li> <li>Defence of <a href="/facts/Pisa/KG9RF5hR">Pisa</a> demonstrates the effectiveness of the <i><a href="/facts/Trace_italienne/MoUL6X9S">trace italienne</a></i> form of <a href="/facts/Fortification/pyH0FXhH">fortification</a>.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Ottaviano_Petrucci/5kwBdYLF">Ottaviano Petrucci</a> (Ottavio de'Petrucci) prints music with <a href="/facts/Movable_type/1wyahIGP">movable type</a> in <a href="/facts/Venice/Xzc2uVDg">Venice</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a></li></ul> <h2 id="births">Births</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Hernando_de_Alarc%25C3%25B3n/aoQ3eyBt">Hernando de Alarcón</a>, Spanish <a href="/facts/Navigator/NgKARJJL">navigator</a> (died <a href="/facts/1541_in_science/bb5G5fzx">1541</a>)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Ruy_L%25C3%25B3pez_de_Villalobos/5EWh4wDt">Ruy López de Villalobos</a>, Spanish <a href="/facts/Explorer/wXUhG45B">explorer</a> (died <a href="/facts/1546_in_science/BIRjXfpb">1546</a>)</li> <li><i>approx. date</i> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Pierre_Desceliers/hkNHM002">Pierre Desceliers</a>, French <a href="/facts/Cartographer/8YdDAAeX">cartographer</a> (died <a href="/facts/1558_in_science/vdztcj95">1558</a>)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Ambrosius_Ehinger/VwGGw1tz">Ambrosius Ehinger</a>, <a href="/facts/Bavaria/CLbr6NIG">Bavarian</a> explorer of South America (k. <a href="/facts/1533_in_science/1B6lhAoB">1533</a>)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Bartolomeo_Maranta/8r3Vf4z6">Bartolomeo Maranta</a>, Italian <a href="/facts/Physician/qJ3woFvG">physician</a> and <a href="/facts/Botanist/PaIRoxnb">botanist</a> (died <a href="/facts/1571_in_science/XUSc54GF">1571</a>)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Paarangot_Jyeshtadevan_Namboodiri/gDzoepK1">Paarangot Jyeshtadevan Namboodiri</a>, <a href="/facts/Kerala/DMP5u40q">Keralan</a> <a href="/facts/Mathematician/eaFSR8Fx">mathematician</a> and <a href="/facts/Astronomer/ronF8j4a">astronomer</a> (died <a href="/facts/1610_in_science/yzD7csmL">1610</a>)</li> <li><a href="/facts/Niccol%25C3%25B2_Fontana_Tartaglia/BsB0Kupr">Niccolò Fontana Tartaglia</a>, Italian mathematician (died <a href="/facts/1557_in_science/9t5GpyQt">1557</a>)</li></ul></li></ul> <h2 id="deaths">Deaths</h2> <ul><li>May 29 – <a href="/facts/Bartolomeu_Dias/cYLPrrXy">Bartolomeu Dias</a>, <a href="/facts/Portugal/lYzwDQ63">Portuguese</a> explorer (b. c. 1451) (drowned at sea)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Martín Merás, Luisa (2000). "La carta de Juan de la Cosa: interpretación e historia". Monte Buciero (in Spanish). 4. Ayuntamiento de Santoña: 71–86. ISSN 1138-9680. Retrieved 2011-08-06. <a href="http://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/fichero_articulo?codigo=206305&orden=72914" target="_blank">http://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/fichero_articulo?codigo=206305&orden=72914</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Grun, Bernard (1991). The Timetables of History (3rd ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-74919-6. <a href="0-671-74919-6" target="_blank">0-671-74919-6</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Grun, Bernard (1991). The Timetables of History (3rd ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-74919-6. <a href="0-671-74919-6" target="_blank">0-671-74919-6</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Grun, Bernard (1991). The Timetables of History (3rd ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-74919-6. <a href="0-671-74919-6" target="_blank">0-671-74919-6</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Grun, Bernard (1991). The Timetables of History (3rd ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-74919-6. <a href="0-671-74919-6" target="_blank">0-671-74919-6</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Gille, Bertrand (1978). Histoire des techniques. Paris: Gallimard. ISBN 978-2-07-010881-7. <a href="978-2-07-010881-7" target="_blank">978-2-07-010881-7</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Hart, Clive (1972). The Dream of Flight: aeronautics from classical times to the Renaissance. New York: Winchester Press. pp. 132–3. <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Grun, Bernard (1991). The Timetables of History (3rd ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-74919-6. <a href="0-671-74919-6" target="_blank">0-671-74919-6</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Grun, Bernard (1991). The Timetables of History (3rd ed.). New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-74919-6. <a href="0-671-74919-6" target="_blank">0-671-74919-6</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>