Place    From 1851 

Greenwich Meridian

Categories: Science, Transport

A prime meridian. Established by Sir George Airy. By 1884, over two-thirds of all ships and tonnage used it as the reference meridian on their charts and maps. In October of that year, 41 delegates from 25 nations met in Washington, D.C. for the International Meridian Conference, and selected the meridian passing through Greenwich as the official prime meridian.

2024: We learnt about the artist Simon Faithfull who has made good use of the the Greenwich Meridian in his art. Films available at The Line.

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Greenwich Meridian

Commemorated ati

Greenwich Meridian - SE13

{Upper stone:} Greenwich Meridian {Lower stone} The adjacent stone was laid ...

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Other Subjects

Charles Babbage

Charles Babbage

Mathematician and pioneer of the modern computer. Probably born in Crosby Row on what is now Walworth Road. Went to school at Freeman's academy in Enfield. He was critical, to the point of rudenes...

Person, Science, Seriously Famous

2 memorials
Sir Norman Lockyer

Sir Norman Lockyer

Astronomer and journal editor, born at Rugby. In 1865 Lockyer and his family moved to a house (no longer extant) near Swiss Cottage. Here, using a special spectroscope to examine the sun, he discov...

Person, Science

1 memorial
Dr Edmond Halley

Dr Edmond Halley

Astronomer. born Haggerston, London. Correctly predicted the return of a comet in 1758 but died before the date. Invented the diving bell. Died Greenwich.

Person, Science

2 memorials
Ravensbourne Geological Society
1 memorial
Sir Arthur Eddington

Sir Arthur Eddington

Astronomer. mathematician and physicist. Born Arthur Stanley Eddington in Kendal, Westmorland. He is famous for his work concerning the theory of relativity, and wrote a number of articles explaini...

Person, Science

2 memorials