Globes have been around for centuries, and they've come a long way since their humble beginnings. Here's a quick history of globes, complete with plenty of fun facts to impress your friends (or bore them to tears, depending on how much they love history).
The ancient Greeks were the first to create globes, way back in the 5th century BCE. These globes were made of metal and were used for educational and decorative purposes. But don't get too excited - none of these original globes have survived to the present day. (Sorry, history buffs!) In the 2nd century BCE, Crates of Mallus decided to up the ante and create the first terrestrial (AKA planet Earth) globe. And in the 4th century BC, Eudoxus of Cnidus one-upped Crates by making the first celestial (AKA heavenly bodies) globe. Talk about a globetrotting duo!
Fast forward several centuries, and we come to the 14th and 15th centuries - the golden age of globes, if you will. This is when the development of printing and cartography, or mapmaking, led to the mass production of globes. And the very first printed globe was made in 1492 by none other than Martin Behaim, who created the Erdapfel (or "Earth Apple") - a terrestrial globe that shows Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia. But the Erdapfel wasn't the only globe to make waves in the 1500s. Soon after Columbus set sail and "discovered" the New World, the first globes to show the Americas were produced. And thus, the rise of globe mania in the 1500s was born.
Globes have a long and fascinating history, and there's so much more to them than just being a fancy decoration for your desk. Did you know that the first globes made in the United States were produced by James Wilson in the late 18th century? And some globes are also made with an armillary sphere, which is a model of the celestial sphere that shows the positions of the celestial bodies. That's an impressive level of globe-making! In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, globes were often used as a form of political propaganda. Governments would commission the creation of globes that highlighted their own territories and downplayed the size of their rivals' territories. Sneaky!
Over the centuries, globes were made using a variety of materials, including paper, wood, and metal. And as time went on, advances in technology led to the creation of digital and virtual globes. Today, globes are still used for educational and decorative purposes, and they've come a long way from their ancient Greek roots. Only time will tell what the future holds for these round wonders.
Today digital globes are created with computer software and can be accessed online or on a computer or mobile device. Virtual globes are similar to digital globes, but they allow users to interact with and explore the globe in a virtual environment. For the puzzle enthusiasts out there, there are even puzzle globes that can be taken apart and reassembled like a puzzle. Talk about a round-the-world adventure! There you go a brief history of the Globe.
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