Really crazy how the gnomonic map projection, a cartography uniquely suited to the great-circle navigation that very modern conveyances like airliners use, is the oldest known map projection, discovered by Thales in the sixth century BC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnomonic_projection

Image is a gnomonic map of much of the northern hemisphere from 1943, with a helpful explanation of how it all works.

#cartography #maps #mapprojections #thoughts #history