Communication

By the end of the 15th century, about 35,000 different books have been published and printed. The total number of copies produced is estimated at 20,000,000 About 77 percent of the books are in Latin while 45 percent deal with religion. See also 1440 Communication.

Johannes Trithemius of Spanheim [b. 1462, d. Würzburg (Germany), 1516] writes Steganographia ("hidden writing"). Copies of the manuscript circulate for a hundred years. See also 1474 Mathematics; 1553 Communication. Earth science Polygraphia (1518) — the first printed book on cryptography. ...

Leonardo da Vinci, who finds many fossils in canal building sites, proposes that fossil shells of marine animals are found on mountains because Earth undergoes transformations that cause areas once submerged under water to become exposed. See also 1250 Earth science; 1517 Earth science. Energy Leonardo da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) was an Italian Renaissance architect, musician, anatomist, inventor, engineer, sculptor, geometer, and painter. ... A fossil Ammonite Fossils are the mineralized remains of animals or plants or other traces such as footprints. ...

Gravity-powered water systems for towns are in use. See also 1600 Tools. Materials

Hieronymus Brunschwygk's Liber de arte distillandi de simplicibus, known as the "Small Book" or as "The Little Book of Distillation," describes the construction of furnaces and stills, herbs usable for distillation, and medical applications of distillates. He will publish his "Big Book," dealing with the same subjects, in 1512. Medicine & health

Jakob Nufer, a Swiss pig gelder, performs the first recorded caesarean operation on a living woman. See also 1497 Medicine & health; 1545 Medicine & health. Tools A caesarean section (cesarean section AE), is a surgical incision through a mothers abdomen (laparotomy) and uterus (hysterotomy) to deliver one or more fetuses. ...

Leonardo da Vinci draws a wheel-lock musket, the first known appearance of this type of ignition, which will come into use about 15 years later. Earlier small arms had been ignited by various forms of matches; the wheel-lock is ignited when a spring mechanism causes a ratchet to strike sparks from iron and pyrites or flint. See also 1515 in tools. Leonardo da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) was an Italian Renaissance architect, musician, anatomist, inventor, engineer, sculptor, geometer, and painter. ... Muskets and bayonets aboard the frigate Grand Turk The word musket also means a male sparrowhawk. ... Household safety matches burning match A match is a simple and convenient means of producing fire under controlled circumstances and on demand. ...

Rifling in gun barrels is introduced. Grooves are cut in spirals into the interior of the barrels, imparting a stabilizing spin to the projectile. Transportation

Leonardo da Vinci designs the first helicopter. It is not built and probably would not have flown if built. See also 1492 in transportation. Leonardo da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) was an Italian Renaissance architect, musician, anatomist, inventor, engineer, sculptor, geometer, and painter. ... The Bell 206 of Canadian Helicopters Robinson Helicopter Company (USA) R44, a four seat development of the R22 A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors (propellers). ...

Chinese scientist Wan Hu ties 47 gunpowder rockets to the back of a chair in an effort to build a flying machine. The device explodes during testing, killing Wan, who acted as pilot. See also 1150 in transportation. A scientist is a man who is an expert in at least one area of science and who uses the scientific method to do research. ... Illustration of Wan Hus takeoff. ... Gunpowder, whether black powder or smokeless powder, is a substance that burns very rapidly and is used as a propellant in firearms. ...