The 18th century --> Attempts at the thematic mapping of geologic, economic, and medical data were made near the end of the century. Abstract graphs of functions, measurement error, and collection of empirical data were introduced at this time.
--> William Playfair, who's widely considered to be the inventor of many of the most popular graphs we use today (line, bar, circle, and pie charts). Many statistical chart types, including histograms, time series plots, contour plots, scatterplots, and others were invented during this period.
