Who invented the magnetic compass?

The compass was invented more than 2000 years ago. The first compasses were made of lodestone, a naturally magnetized ore of iron, in Han dynasty China between 300 and 200 BC. The compass was later used for navigation by the Song Dynasty. read more

Inhospitable as it can be, the sea has played an essential role in human history, and so did that indispensible navigation tool, the magnetic compass. read more

Among the Four Great Inventions, the magnetic compass was first invented as a device for divination as early as the Chinese Han Dynasty (since c. 206 BC), and later adopted for navigation by the Song Dynasty Chinese during the 11th century. read more