Here's a breakdown:
* Ancient Greeks: Philosophers like Pythagoras and Aristotle proposed the idea of a spherical Earth based on observations like the curved shadow of Earth on the moon during lunar eclipses and the changing constellations as one traveled north or south.
* Eratosthenes: This Greek scholar in the 3rd century BC is credited with measuring the circumference of the Earth using a clever method involving the angles of the sun's rays at different locations. This was a significant contribution to the understanding of Earth's shape.
* Medieval Period: While the concept of a spherical Earth was accepted by many scholars, there were still some who believed in a flat Earth.
* Age of Exploration: Ferdinand Magellan led the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe in the early 16th century, providing definitive proof of Earth's spherical shape.
So, while no single scientist "found" that Earth was round, the contributions of many individuals over centuries, including ancient Greeks like Pythagoras, Aristotle, and Eratosthenes, as well as later explorers like Magellan, helped to solidify our understanding of the shape of our planet.
