The Prime Meridian in London, England, was established at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich by an international agreement. This decision was made during the International Meridian Conference in 1884, held in Washington, D.C.
Key Details:
- The Royal Observatory, founded in 1675 by King Charles II, played a crucial role in the development of astronomy and navigation.
- The Prime Meridian at Greenwich (0° longitude) was chosen because the observatory’s meridian was already widely used by sailors and mapmakers globally.
- At the 1884 conference, representatives from 25 nations voted to adopt the Greenwich Meridian as the standard for longitude and timekeeping, making it the global reference point for mapping and time zones.
This decision established Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) as the world’s time standard, further cementing Greenwich’s place in history.