The narrator begins by discussing an old map with an arbitrary zero point, which sparks a curiosity about why the Prime Meridian, the line that separates the Eastern and Western hemispheres, passes through Greenwich, England. The narrator delves into the history of map-making and navigation, explaining how different countries had their own zero points, which caused confusion and problems for navigation and trade.
In the 1800s, countries began to align and trade with each other, and the need for a universal navigation system arose. In 1884, 41 countries met in Washington D.C. to discuss and agree on a universal zero point. The British Empire, being the most powerful navy at the time, was chosen to have the zero point, which passed through the Royal Observatory in Greenwich.
The agreement also established Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) as the universal time standard, with time zones measured from GMT. The narrator explains how time zones work, using examples of how time changes as you move east or west from Greenwich.
The narrator concludes by reflecting on how this conference in 1884 established the navigation and time system that rules the world today, with Britain still technically at the center of it. The video ends with a promotion for Skillshare, an online learning platform that sponsored the video.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The Earth is divided into lines, including latitude and longitude lines.
2. The lines have numbers associated with them, with a zero point for up-and-down lines and a zero point for side-to-side lines.
3. In the past, each country had its own zero point, often based on its capital or home base.
4. In the 1800s, countries began to collaborate and trade more, making it necessary to standardize maps and time zones.
5. The US president in the late 1800s invited 41 countries to Washington DC to discuss standardizing the zero point.
6. The conference resulted in the establishment of the Prime Meridian, which passes through Greenwich, England.
7. The Prime Meridian was chosen as the zero point for the east-west divide, with all other longitudes measured relative to it.
8. The conference also established Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) as the standard time zone.
9. GMT is based on the time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England.
10. Time zones are measured in relation to GMT, with each zone representing a one-hour difference from GMT.
11. The International Dateline is the line that separates two consecutive calendar days, with GMT +12 on one side and GMT -12 on the other.
12. Crossing the International Dateline results in a change of one calendar day.
13. The British Empire was the largest and most powerful navy in the world in 1884, which contributed to the choice of Greenwich as the zero point.
14. The conference in 1884 was held to reconcile train timetables and make maps more uniform.
15. The navigation and time system established at the conference still rules the world today.
16. Britain is technically still the center of the world in terms of navigation and time.
17. The author learned about the history of the Prime Meridian and GMT through online research and resources.
18. Skillshare is an online learning platform that offers tutorials on various subjects, including design, entrepreneurship, and video editing.