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Conrad GESSNER
1565 - The pencil is invented (Conrad Gesner, Switzerland)

"In 1565 the German-Swiss naturalist Conrad Gesner first described a writing instrument in which graphite, then thought to be a type of lead, was inserted into a wooden holder." www.britannica.com



In 1565, the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gesner is credited with describing an early form of the pencil in his book "De rerum fossilium, lapidum et gemmarum maxime, figuris et similitudinibus." This account marks one of the earliest recorded mentions of a writing instrument resembling a modern pencil, which used a graphite core encased in wood. Gesner's description laid the groundwork for the development of the pencil as we know it today. While he didn't invent the pencil, his documentation was crucial in its evolution and spread.



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