Sima Qian's calendar was considered revolutionary, setting 365.25 days to a year, and 29.53 days to a month The planet 12620 is named Simaqian in his honour Sima thought the purpose of history was ...

Fueled by his father's inspiration, Sima Qian started to compile Shiji in 109 BC. In 105 BC, Sima was among the scholars chosen to reform the calendar. As a senior imperial official, ...

He was mentioned in the Shiji by historian Sima Qian (145 BCE-90 BCE). Tradition holds that he reigned from 2697 BC to 2597 BC. His personal name was said to be Gongsun Xuanyuan.

Sima Qian is lauded for his Records of the Grand Historian, which offers a general history of the country, covering more than 3,000 years. In modern China, he is regarded the greatest historian of ...