what were the past uses of magnets?

Answer 1

curious is that "“Magnet”is derived from a Greek word of a place “Magnesia”, where magnetite was widely distributed. In old English, it was called“lodestone”, meaning “waystone”."[4]

Medicinal and positional.
1. Hippokrates of Kos (ca. 460 BC – ca. 370 BC) belived that load stone must be good for something so why not having medicinal properties[1]. It still believed today. According to [2] " Magnetic therapy was first used by the Chinese 4,000 years ago. Many cultures, including the Chinese, Greeks, Egyptians and Europeans, have applied magnets to relieve pain and other symptoms"

2. Chinese used magnets for navigation.