Many different forms of calendars exist throughout the world, and some are so old that we cannot possibly correctly identify their creator. At best, we can credit various nations with the development of certain calendars.
The earliest calendars were simply means of tracking the solar days, lunar cycles, and seasons related to the planting and harvest of crops. Some cultures today, like the Jewish faith and the Chinese, use the lunar calendar to keep track of traditional holidays.
Ancient Egyptians may be credited with devising the earliest calendar which most accurately tracked the lunar cycles and measured the year. As early as 3,000 BCE, the Egyptians used a civil calendar made up of twelve months of thirty days. Five days considered to be outside of "ordinary time" were tacked onto the end of each year for a total of 365 days.
Today, most people around the world use the Gregorian Calendar, which was introduced in 1582 CE by Pope Gregory XIII. Though the calendar is named after Gregory, it was actually designed by the astronomer Luigi Lilio. A similar miscrediting probably occurred with the Julian calendar, which was in use throughout the Western world prior to the Gregorian. The Julian calendar was introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BCE, but it is unlikely he invented it himself.
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