In early times, people discovered the spinning top, a toy with a unique ability to balance upright while rotating rapidly. Ancient Greek, Chinese and Roman societies built tops for games and entertainment. The Maori in New Zealand have used humming tops, with specially-crafted holes, in mourning ceremonies. In 14th century England, some villages had a large top constructed for a warming-up exercise in cold weather. Tops were even used in place of dice, like the die in the contemporary fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons.

It was not until the late 18th and early 19th centuries that scientists and sailors began attempting to use spinning tops as a scientific tool. At that time, sailors relied on sextants for navigation, measuring the angle between specific stars and the horizon. This method was limited, however, if choppy seas or fog obscured the true horizon, or clouds obscured the stars. Serson, an English scientist, noted in the 1740's that the spinning top had a tendency to remain level, even when the surface on which it rested was tilting. He suggested that sailors could use it as an artificial horizon on ships. Unfortunately, when Serson went to sea to test this idea the ship sank and everyone was lost.