The Renaissance period in Europe is known for rapid and path-breaking inventions and developments that took place in fields like science, arts, philosophy, etc. The timeline of Renaissance period is c. 1300-1600 AD. It is believed that Florence, Italy, was the epicenter of the Renaissance movement. Florence was the place where the early changes of the Renaissance period started to occur. Here is more on the developments which took place during this period. The Renaissance Inventions and Technology An important phase from the point of social, political, cultural and scientific changes, the Renaissance period marked the beginning of a revolution that bolstered Europe's economy and military prowess; it also had an indirect, positive influence on the culture and social life of Europe. The sociocultural influences in turn brought about changes in the field of science. Renaissance was the transitional phase in Europe between the medieval and modern times. Inventions of this period proved to be the building blocks of scientific development. The information about inventions and inventors given below, should help us understand the crucial changes which took place in the Renaissance period. One of the earliest designs of a submarine was created by Leonardo da Vinci. However, Cornelius van Drebbel was the one who successfully developed the submarine in 1624. The submarine which was created by Drebbel could dive 15 feet below the surface of water; it was basically a rowboat made from wood and fitted with air tubes. It was tested in the river Thames and remained submerged under water for about 3 hours. David Bushnell of the United States built the first submarine named 'Turtle' for military use in 1776. John Holland and Simon built, what can be called, the true submarine in the 1890s. The naval forces of USA, Russia and Japan bought these submarines. Since then the submarines have undergone many changes and have become a lot more sophisticated. The mechanical clocks that functioned with the help of 'verge-and-foliot' mechanism were introduced in the 14th century. Gradually, these clocks underwent development with improvement in technology. The earliest designs of mechanical clock incorporated a drum which contained mercury; the drum was driven by means of weights. The drums that were used in these mechanical clocks had compartments filled with mercury. The mercury passed through holes in these compartments; it helped in controlling the rate at which movement of the drum took place. Measuring a day's time in a 24-hour cycle became possible after the invention of mechanical clock. In 1656, a pendulum clock was made by Christian Huygens. He made improvements to the clock to reduce the error from 1 minute a day to 10 seconds a day. In 1721, George Graham improved the accuracy of the pendulum clock and reduced the error up to 1 second a day. In 1889, Sigmund Riefler further reduced the error to 1/100th of a second a day. In the 1930s, the quartz crystals, which exhibit piezoelectric properties, were used to make the quartz clocks. The printing press was invented by Johann Gutenberg of Germany in 1440. He started working on this machine in 1436. Before the invention of printing press, the woodblock technology was used for the purpose of printing. Invention of the printing press proved to be of great help in making vernacular literature available to the masses. Metal molds and alloys were used in the earliest form of printing press made by Gutenberg. The technique used by Gutenberg for printing was known as the letterpress printing. He made use of the 'movable type' of letters for printing. In this technique, protruding surfaces of the matrix, meant for printing, were inked. The ink was used to create an impression of letters on the paper. The technique of printing developed by Gutenberg was used for a long period, i.e. from mid-15th century to second-half of 20th century, until the development of offset printing. The offset printing made the process of printing much more easier. Today, there are many different techniques that are developed for the purpose of printing. There are no clear records available as to who invented eyeglasses. However, 1000 AD was roughly the period during which eyeglasses were invented. In the 13th century, Roger Bacon, an English friar based in Paris had put forth a scientific theory on how to make use of corrective eyeglasses. However, he did not invent eyeglasses. There aren't any documents or records which speak about his role in the invention of glasses. Salvino D'Armato degli Armati from Italy is credited with making wearable eyeglasses in 1284. It was not until the 15th century that glasses for conditions like hyperopia, myopia and presbyopia were made. Roger Bacon is said to have used reading glasses in 1268 AD. It is however, not clearly known whether he used reading stones or proper lenses which fitted in frames. The invention of gunpowder in China led to many different inventions like guns, rocket launchers, mortars, etc. The use of artillery with mechanical power was made by Romans in 399 BC. Gunpowder was accidentally invented in around 850 AD, at a time when some alchemists in China were experimenting with preparing elixirs. Gunpowder invention is one of the 'Four Great Inventions' of China. To improve the accuracy of rockets, an engineer called William Congreve made use of launching tubes. The 'howitzer' was invented in the 17th century. This artillery machine was used to hit targets positioned at steep angles. The credit for the invention of howitzer goes to the English and Dutch armed forces. The artillery machines have become sophisticated in the course of time. Today, there are materials other than gunpowder being used in the artillery machines. Also, the technology used for making these machines has advanced by leaps and bounds. Robert Boyle, a physicist from Ireland invented the match in 1680. Substances like phosphorus and sulfur, when rubbed together, produce fire. This concept was implemented by Robert Boyle in the process of inventing the match. However, the matches made by him were not the usable ones. Due to their combustible nature, the matches manufactured in those days were deemed unsafe. The first friction matches were invented by John Walker in 1827; chemicals like potassium chlorate, antimony sulfide, starch and gum were used in the preparation of these matches. In 1805, Jean Chancel from France invented the self-igniting match. The chemicals which constituted the head of this match are sulfur, potassium chlorate, rubber and sugar. The exact year of the invention of compass is not known. However, it is said to have been invented during the Qin Dynasty between 221 and 206 BC. Lodestone was the material that was used to make the compass. This ore of iron is available in the naturally magnetized form. Interestingly, during this period, the compass was used for the purpose of fortune-telling and not for finding directions. These lodestones pointed southwards and therefore, people began using them as compass. Earlier, the lodestones were made in the shape of spoon. Magnetic needles replaced them in the 8th century, after which they were used as pointing devices on ships. The compass was first used by a Chinese voyager Zheng He. He had undertaken seven ocean voyages in the period between 1405 and 1433 AD. Eventually, Europeans also came to known about the compass. The Mariner's compass has played a crucial role in the sea voyages undertaken by Europeans. There were able to discover new routes for trade and ultimately the continents new to them. The early lenses got their name from lentils. This is because lenses had the shape of lentil seeds. Hans Janssen and Hans Lippershey are credited with the invention of the first compound microscope in 1590. The idea of placing one glass behind other, which increases their magnifying power, served as the basis of development of compound microscope. Earliest forms of microscopes offered 20-30 times greater magnification of objects. It is one of the important inventions of the Renaissance period. The first paper mill was set up in 1496 in England. With the availability of paper, many different designs and patterns of wallpapers were developed. Stencils, hand painted designs and wood-block prints were used in the creation of wallpapers. The first flush toilet was made in 1596 by John Harrington. It was only two hundred years after its invention that flush toilet was reinvented by Alexander Cummings. The phenomenon of Renaissance (i.e. rebirth) brought a lease of life to Europe - which was until then living in dark ages. Scientific developments played a major role in bringing about these changes. Therefore, the Renaissance inventions are considered to be of great significance. This period also instilled in the European culture a kind of respect for science. It was the beginning of a new age which brought knowledge and prosperity to this continent.