Gerardus Mercator created a new style of maps, charted by utilizing methods that were as groundbreaking for geography as Copernicus’ were for astronomy. Mercator (1512 – 1594) was a Flemish cartographer who devised a method of accurately portraying a round object on a flat surface. A student of astronomy, geography, mathematics, engraving, calligraphy and instrument-making, he employed them all in his career in cartography and also led to his arrest for religious heresy. His pioneering mapmaking technique, called the Mercator Projection, allowed sailors to travel long distances without frequent changes in compass readings.

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