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China, from the Neolithic to 1949

Chinese history on one line: the Neolithic cultures, the Xia of tradition, the Shang and Zhou, the empire from Qin to Qing, and the Republic, to the founding of the People’s Republic on 1 October 1949, with two later milestones. Dynasties, reigns and wars are durations; people, works, inventions and battles are moments. **How it is dated.** Before 841 BCE, the first year Chinese history dates year by year, the dates are the Xia–Shang–Zhou Chronology Project’s conventional figures, and approximate. Years are proleptic Gregorian with BCE (1 BCE is year 0); dates known to the day before 1582 are converted from the Julian dates in the sources, which are kept under Historical dates. Days are UTC date markers. A sample timeline built from the cited sources, not a definitive history.

134 moments · 5000-01-01T00:00:00Z BCE – 1997-07-01T00:00:00Z CE · by @athan · @athan

The magnetic needle

  • invention
  • writing

**Shen Kuo**'s **Dream Pool Essays** describe a magnetized needle that points south, and note that it points slightly east of true south: the first record of magnetic declination. By 1117 a source records ships navigating by compass.

Date precision
Year

Sources

Related

Open The magnetic needle in the timeline