Pierre Vernier
On this date in 1638, Pierre Vernier died. This French mathematician, although born into the Spanish Hapsburg Empire developed the measuring system and calipers that bear his name. The measuring system is still used in many devices.
Carl Sabanski – The Sundial Primer
Today we live in the digital era where countless devices tells us time, temperature, length, and eight. It is easy to forget that the invention and production of precise mechanical measuring devices was crucial to daily life for centuries.