Notable Inventions of the 15th Century

Dates for inventions are often controversial. Inventions are often invented by several inventors around the same time, or may be invented in an impractical form many years before another inventor improves the invention into a practical form. Where there is ambiguity, the date of the first working version of the invention is used here.

1400-1429: Plate of conjunctions: Jamshīd al-Kāshī

1400-1429: Planetary analog computer: Jamshīd al-Kāshī

1405-1433: Troopship: Zheng He

1405-1433: Treasure ship: Zheng He

1441: Rain gauge: Jang Yeong-sil

1450s: Alphabetic movable type printing press: Johannes Gutenberg

1451: Concave lens for eyeglasses: Nicholas of Cusa

1453: Supergun in Ottoman Empire

1453: Great Turkish Bombard in Ottoman Empire

1490-1492: Terrestrial globe: Martin Behaim

1498: Bristle toothbrush: Hongzhi Emperor

Iron-chain suspension bridge in China

Arquebus in Europe

Rifle in Europe