This laser projected from the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, in London, England, marks the prime meridian, dividing Earth’s Eastern and Western Hemispheres and helping travelers to chart their courses by establishing a universally adopted 0 degrees longitude. The meridian itself is essentially an imaginary line, arbitrarily placed. By the early 19th century, most maritime countries had established their own prime meridians to aid in navigation. But on this date in 1884, delegates from 25 nations met at a conference in Washington, DC, where they established Greenwich as the international standard for mapping and timekeeping. The decision made sense, as the Greenwich meridian was already widely used. But there was one holdout: France abstained from the vote and used its own prime meridian for several decades before eventually joining other countries in recognizing the Greenwich meridian.
‘Hello’ from zero degrees longitude
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Sailing on thick ice
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Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington
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Bow Bridge in Central Park, New York City
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Porcupine
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Travels to the Oregon deep
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A towering view of the Pale Mountains
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Uncommon clouds are gathering
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Cappadocia, Türkiye
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Big wheels on a big mountain
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The birthplace of a classic Christmas carol
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Honoring our veterans
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And the skies filled with bats…
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The roots of invention
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Marseille welcomes the Olympic torch
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An improbable tribute for Towel Day
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A shell of many colors
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A whale of a hug
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Night of the ‘Cold Moon’
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Hello, harbinger of spring
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A ‘Superior’ paddle
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National Museum of African American History and Culture
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Homeward bound
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A good time in the Badlands
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A wild, craggy corner of the United States
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A walk among the giants
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Corjuem Fort in Goa, India
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A wassailing we go
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Saskatchewan s spookier side
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It s time for spring
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Looking down on the Otter