Four Great Chinese Inventions

• 105
  Cai Lun, a Chinese eunuch, tell Emperor He about his invention, zhi, i.e. paper, made of bark, hemp, silk, and fishing net
• 808
  The first mention of a mixture resembling gunpowder, made of sulfur, saltpeter and herb, appears in Taoist text, known as Taishang Shengzu Danjing Mijue, in China
• 868
  Diamond Sutra, the first extant complete printed book containing its date is issued using woodblock printing technique in China
• 1020
  Floating magnetic compass, consisting of an iron body floating in a bowl of water, is invented for navigation in China