International Meridian Conference

E21824

The International Meridian Conference was an 1884 gathering of nations in Washington, D.C., that established the Greenwich meridian as the international prime meridian and laid the foundation for global time standardization.

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Statements (58)

Predicate Object
instanceOf diplomatic conference
international conference
appliesTo cartography
global navigation
global timekeeping
chairperson Lewis M. Rutherfurd
city Washington, D.C.
convenedBy United States of America
country United States of America
definedConcept Greenwich Mean Time
Prime Meridian
surface form: international prime meridian

universal day
endDate 1884-10-22
field astronomy
geodesy
navigation
timekeeping
followedBy development of international standard time zones in the late 19th century
historicalPeriod late 19th century
hostedBy United States of America
inception 1884
language English
location Washington, D.C.
mainSubject longitude
prime meridian
time standardization
name International Meridian Conference self-link
numberOfParticipatingCountries 25
participatingEntity Brazil
Chile
China
Costa Rica
Denmark
Dominican Republic
France
Germany
Italy
Japan
Mexico
Netherlands
Ottoman Empire
Portugal
Russia
Dominican Republic
surface form: San Domingo

Spain
Sweden
surface form: Sweden-Norway

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
United States of America
Venezuela
purpose to establish a universal day
to promote global time standardization
to select a single prime meridian for international use
result adoption of the Greenwich meridian as the international prime meridian
foundation for international standard time zones
recommendation of a universal day beginning at midnight at Greenwich
secretary Cleveland Abbe
significantPlace Maritime Greenwich
surface form: Greenwich Observatory
startDate 1884-10-01

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Prime Meridian adoptedAt International Meridian Conference
International Meridian Conference name International Meridian Conference self-link
Greenwich Mean Time standardizedAt International Meridian Conference