Resumen de The story of the first charts, in three charts

• The article examines the history of charts as a means of data visualization. Charts and graphs taken from the 1786 book "The Commercial & Political Atlas," by William Playfair, a Scottish economist, are presented as examples of what are believed to be the first use of charts instead of tables to visualize data. Playfair's use of charts to illustrate economic conditions in Great Britain from 1700-1782 is discussed. It is noted that Playfair did not profit from his creation, as charts were not widely adopted by the time of his death in 1823.