Timelines of Science (Islamic Civilization) Started in early 600 AD, Islam spread throughout Arab, Persia and entered Europe through Spain within next 150 years. 800-1452 AD is known as era when classical knowledge was revived and expanded by Muslim scholars attached to mosques and courts. When Muslims occupied Spain, they translated Greeks into Arabic and also Arabic texts into Latin. As a result Arabic work circulated throughout Europe and formed the basis of modern Science in Western civilization. This era can be called as Islamic and European renaissance.

750 AD Al-Fazari wrote a treatise on “astrolabe” – a device that transferred observations of celestial sphere on flat plate and helped perform complex astronomical calculations. 750 AD Arabs established textile industry in Spain. 762 AD First planned city (of known human history) was built in Baghdad by Arab Muslims. 771 AD Indian astronomical treatise was translated into Arabic. 775 AD Jabir Ibn Hayyan (722-804 AD) invented “alembic” flask (an enclosed flask to heat liquid). Ibn Hayyan is called father of Arabic Chemistry (Al Chemi). He established classification of substances into metal and non-metal. He identified properties of acid and alkalis. 810 AD Bayt al-Hikma (House of wisdom) was founded in Baghdad. This was word’s first research university with a largest library. It is found that word’s first university was found in 300 to 400 BCE in an ancient city called “Taxila” in today’s Pakistan. (This city still exists). It was Gundhara civilization and was completely destroyed by Alexander the Great. 830 AD Al-Khwarizmi described Algebra in his book. Al-Khwarizmi (780-850 AD) is one of the most important scholars attached to House of Wisdom. He studies both Greek and Indian scientific work, modified astrolabe significantly (in 820 AD). Algebra is his major achievement. Algebra is deduced from Arabic word Al-Jabir which means balancing – balancing the equation on both sides and gave a systematic way of solving quadratic equations. He was given an assignment of proving God, which he said “God cannot be proven mathematically and the reason is same as we cannot prove existing of zero mathematically. 850 AD Al-Kindi wrote a book on “Optics”. Al-Kindi (801-873 AD) was another very important scholar of “House of Wisdom”. He translated Greek scientific and philosophical texts into Arabic. He also wrote books on Medicine, Chemistry, Astronomy and Mathematics. Most importantly, he introduced Indian numerals to Islamic world that became the basis of modern system of numbers. 855 AD Gunpowder was discovered in China. 876 AD Symbol for zero (0) was introduced at House of Wisdom. This was a vital step in development of the decimal system of notation (we use today). That is how the decimal system came to Europe via Spain. It quickly replaced Roman numeral system which was very cumbersome. 890 AD Al-Razi developed Alcohol (AL-Kohl) from wine by distillation (the method is still in use). 900 AD Abu Kamil (a mathematician) developed al-Khwarizmi’s Algebra dealing with powers greater than two. 925 AD Al-Farabi wrote on “Music Therapy”. 1004 AD “House of Knowledge” was found in Cairo by Caliph al-Hakim. 1006 AD First description of “Supernova” by Ali Ibn Ridwan. 1011-21 AD Abu Ali Ibn al-Haythan Alhazen (965-1039AD) proposed his theory of vision in his book “Optics. He is the first one to realize that the light coming into eyes causes vision. He also developed the linkage between algebra and geometry. He deduced the size of atmosphere to be 55 miles. He invented pinhole camera. He is called Father of Optics. 1030 AD A Persian astronomer suggested that earth may rotate around the sun, but he could not prove it. 1050 AD First supernova from Crab Nebula was observed by Arb and Chinese astronomer. 1070-79 AD Omar Khayyam (1048-1131 AD, a Persian philosopher and poet) wrote a book on “Demonstration of Problems of Algebra”. He compiled the astronomical table and in 1079 AD, he calculated the length of year as 365.24219858156 days (remarkably close to modern measurement of 365.242190 days), and made new more accurate calendar. 1088 AD Shen Kuo (a Chinese women) gave first description of magnetic compass. She is more famous for writing “Dream Pool Essay”. 1120 AD Abu al-Barakat (a Philosopher in Baghdad) expressed relationship between force and acceleration (centuries before Newton). 1121 AD Al-Khazini proposed an earlier form of theory of gravitation. “Gravity varies according to the distance from the center of universe”. 1126 AD Adelard of Bath (1080-1152 AD, England) translate Al-Khazini’s work from Arabic to Latin. Adelard of bath is well known for his translational works from Greek and Arabic to Latin. 1126-51 AD Raymond of Toledo ordered translations of many classical works from Arabic and Greek to Latin language. I guess awakening of Europe started at this point in the history. You can see that after this year, scientific achievements shifted slowly towards West. Eventually West got complete domination on Science and technology (and civilization also) in 18th century. Muslim word remain active in science till the middle of 1700 AD . 1154 AD Ibn Rushd (known as Averroes in Europe) proposed first theory of kinetics – the idea that objects have mass that resists motive force. 1180 AD Horizontal windmill appeared in Europe. 1202 AD Hindu-Arabic numerals were published in Europe. 1206 AD Al-Jazari (Arab engineer) wrote a book “Book of Knowledge of Ingenious and Mechanical Devises” – describing 100 remarkable machines, including Crankshafts and camshafts relying on gears. 1210 AD A church “Synod” banned the study of Aristotle’s work at Paris University. (The study was banned again in 1215 AD but finally church could not resist in 1231 and Aristotle was allowed to study in European Universites).