Timeline on magic squares

"-650 Shu Ching - first mention of the Lo Shu (River Plan) which may refer to the magic square of order 3.

-300 Chang Tzu mentions the Lo Shu

80 Ta Tai Li Chi - first clear reference to a Magic Square.

1C Nagarjuna - first order 4 Magic Square, in India.

130 Theon of Smyrna: Biblion ... - natural square often erroneously cited as magic.

190 Xu Yiu (= Hsu Yo = Xu Yue): Shu Shu Ji Yi (= Shu Shu Chi I) (Memoir on Some Traditions of Mathematical Art) - first description of order 3 Magic Square. However, current belief is that this text was written by Zhu Luan (= Shuzun) of c570. 

c500 Invention of chess, probably in northwest India.

505 Varahamihira II: Brhatsamhita.

c983 Ikhw_n al-Saf_': Ras_'il (Encyclopedia) - first examples of order 5 and 6 Magic Squares

1000 al-Biruni.
1000 Ibn al-Haitham.

1275 Yang Hui - preserves various Magic Squares; first Magic Circles.

1315 Moschopoulos - first Western discussion of Magic Squares.

1392 Three packs of cards made for Charles VI of France.
15C First associaiton of Magic Squares with planets.

1514 Durer: Melencholia - famous Magic Square.

1640 Fermat - first mention of Magic Cubes.

c1660 Frenicle finds the 880 Magic Squares of order 4.

1694 Hyde: De Ludis Orientalis.

1710 Sauveur finds first magic cube and invents() Latin squares.

1750 Franklin's elaborate Magic Squares.

1847 Beverley finds first Semi-magic Knight's Tour.

c1920 Bartl magic catalogue.

1921 Blyth: Match-Stick Magic.

1935 Premiére Congrés International des Récréations Mathématiques in Brussels

1935-38 Datta & Singh: History of Hindu Mathematics.

1936 Hein invents Soma Cube.

1956 Gardner: Mathematics, Magic and Mystery.

1987 Ball-Coxeter: Mathematical Recreations and Essays, 13th ed."

Fonte: CHRONOLOGY OF RECREATIONAL MATHEMATICS by David Singmaster <http://utenti.quipo.it/base5/introduz/singchro.htm>.