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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Honoring some real heroes of World War II
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Staring down winter
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A gentle wind fills this sail
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A magnificent monolith
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‘Think equal, build smart, innovate for change’
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A sleeping green giant
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Maldives
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Daylight saving time
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Party like it’s 5779
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Quebec City for Winter Carnival
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Big Bend National Parks birthday
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Pretty in pink, and purple, and red…
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Twosday
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It s National Mushroom Month!
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A peak in the clouds
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The moth wonderful time of the year
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An inland ocean
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Winter scenery near Kuhmo, Finland
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Wildcat in a winter wonderland
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Adorably evolutionary sea sheep
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Kawachi Fuji Garden
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Giving Tuesday
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Lick Observatory
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Rethymno, Crete, Greece
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National Hispanic Heritage Month
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It s superb owl Sunday
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National Park Service anniversary
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Mountain mists over Bavaria
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An endless journey
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Take me to the river