On March fifth, 1512, a boy soon to be one of the greatest influences on the exploration of our planet, was born. Originally named Gerard de Cremere, Gerardus Mercator first studied at Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands, then in 1530, at the age of 18, entered the University of Louvain, studying humanities and philosophy. From there he graduated with an M.A. in 1532. After graduating, Mercator began to have worries on how to reconcile the account of the origin …showed first 75 words of 706 total…

…showed last 75 words of 706 total…which contained maps of France, Germany, and the Netherlands. Long lasting effects of Mercator’s works include greatly aiding the age of exploration, and helping people navigate the globe for 400 years after he first published his projection. If it wasn’t for Mercator, the world probably would not be as far technologically, not as significantly as Newton, but slightly. His maps helped people to navigate the globe for centuries, and for that, we thank him.