To find information about the development of devices to detect earthquakes for your timeline search seismograph history OR seismometer history in a search engine.
Earthquakes by These books may be useful. Look for ideas about the questions you need to answer. Check when the book was published and then you will need to search for any scientific improvements in the information you have found in other sources. These might help with your timeline!
To begin your search use keywords such as seismic and earthquake prediction or detection.
On 12 May 2008 a province in China experienced an earthquake which the tremors to be felt in Taiwan. Taipei 101 skyscraper is protected by a large pendulum or big tuned mass damper weighing nearly 800 tons, that moves to compensate for the movement of the building so as not to collapse. This video is also available on Public:\9 Science\Geology.
When searching use a combination of keywords with earthquakes such as warning systems, building structures, infrastructure and as you find other keywords begin to use these in new searches.