Gerardus Mercator

Flemish cartographer born Geert de Kremer who devised the cylindrical map projection bearing his name in 1569. Designed for navigation, the Mercator projection preserves angles (rhumb lines appear as straight lines), making it the dominant navigation tool for 450 years and, in digital form, the basis of Google Maps and web mapping today. He also coined the word 'atlas' for a collection of maps, publishing the first true modern atlas in 1595.

• Lived: 1512 CE – 1594 CE
• Nationality: flemish
• Roles: cartographer, geographer, mathematician