This Day In History, May 22nd.
Five Historical Events That Happened on May 22nd.
In Antwerp, Belgium, Flemish geographer Abraham Ortelius publishes the first atlas, "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum."
Sweden and Prussia signed the Treaty of Hamburg in 1762, bringing the two countries' Seven Years' War to a conclusion.
Abraham Lincoln was given a patent in 1849 for a device known as a "buoying apparatus" that lifted boats over shoals and impediments in a river.
The Wright brothers received U.S. patent number 821,393 for their creation of the "Flying Machine," often known as the airplane, in 1906.
The Great Chilean Earthquake, the greatest earthquake ever recorded, struck Valdivia, Chile, with a Richter scale magnitude of 9.5.
The first atlas, "Theatrum Orbis Terrarum" was published by Flemish cartographer Abraham Ortelius in Antwerp, Belgium.
"Theatrum Orbis Terrarum" was the first modern atlas, featuring a collection of uniformly sized and styled maps of the world, Europe, and numerous areas. It was regarded as a seminal work in mapping and geography, and it helped to standardize the way maps were created and presented. The atlas was a financial success, and it passed through multiple editions and translations over the years, confirming Ortelius' position as one of the world's best cartographers.
Sweden and Prussia signed the Treaty of Hamburg, ending the Seven Years' War between the two nations.
The Seven Years' War (1756-1763) was a worldwide struggle involving most of Europe's main countries at the time, including France, Austria, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Sweden and Prussia were both fighting for dominance of the Baltic area during the conflict. The Treaty of Hamburg, signed on May 22, 1762, put an end to the war between Sweden and Prussia, with Prussia emerging victorious. The treaty created a new boundary between the two countries and guaranteed Prussian rule over the Swedish region of Pomerania. The pact was a watershed milestone in the Seven Years' War, paving the stage for peace talks amongst the other belligerent states.
Abraham Lincoln was granted a patent for a device to lift boats over shoals and obstructions in a river, known as a "buoying apparatus."
On May 22, 1849, Abraham Lincoln, a U.S. representative at the time, received U.S. Patent No. 6,469 for his creation of a "buoying apparatus" meant to hoist boats over shoals and other impediments in a river. The device was made out of an inflatable bellows system that could be connected to the sides of a boat and inflated to lift it out of the water. Lincoln was the only president of the United States to have a patent, and his creation indicated his interest in engineering and creativity. However, the innovation did not work in practice and was never commercialized.
The Wright brothers were granted U.S. patent number 821,393 for their invention of the "Flying Machine," otherwise known as the airplane.
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, received U.S. Patent No. 821,393 on May 22, 1906, for their creation of a "flying machine" that could be operated in three dimensions. The patent included the fundamental concept of the airplane, which included the use of a gasoline engine to power propellers, a wing-warping mechanism to regulate the aircraft's roll and pitch, and a moveable rudder for steering. Before their breakthrough in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in 1903, the Wright brothers had done significant tests with gliders and other flying vehicles, and their patented design was a crucial milestone in the history of aviation. The Wright brothers' innovation opened the groundwork for modern aviation to evolve, and their legacy is still appreciated today.
The Great Chilean Earthquake, the largest earthquake ever recorded, struck Valdivia, Chile with a magnitude of 9.5 on the Richter scale.
The Great Chilean Earthquake hit Chile's southern coast on May 22, 1960, with a magnitude of 9.5 on the Richter scale. The earthquake was the most powerful ever recorded, causing massive destruction and misery throughout the region. Valdivia, which was near the quake's epicenter, was particularly heavily struck, with many structures demolished and many killed or injured. The earthquake also caused a series of tsunamis that hit the shores of Chile, Hawaii, Japan, and the Philippines, inflicting further damage and deaths. The Great Chilean Earthquake is still regarded as one of the most powerful and catastrophic natural disasters in recorded history.