Back to personalities catalog
Historical FigureMale

Gerard Merkator

1512 – 1594

About this person

Wikipedia Summary

Gerardus Mercator was a Flemish geographer, cosmographer and cartographer. He is most renowned for creating the 1569 world map based on a new projection which represented sailing courses of constant bearing as straight lines—an innovation that is still employed in nautical charts.

Biographical & Professional Details

Date of birth
March 5, 1512
Date of death
December 2, 1594
Field and occupation
vlámský kartograf, autor prvního mapového atlasu na světě
Wikipedia articles:

Other notable figures named Gerard

Get inspired by other figures bearing this name across history and modern times.

Gerard Butler
GB
born 1969Notable Figure

Scottish actor and film producer

Gerard ter Borch
1617 – 1681Historical Figure

Dutch Golden Age painter (1617–1681)

Gerard David
NL
1460 – 1523Historical Figure

early Netherlandish painter (c. 1460–1523)

Gerard Dou
1613 – 1675Historical Figure

Dutch painter (1613-1675)