International Meridian Conference

The first International Geographical Congress, held in Antwerp in 1871, passed a motion in favour of the use of the Greenwich Meridian for (smaller scale) passage charts, suggesting that it should become mandatory within 15 years.By January 1848, Bradshaw's railway guide showed the unified times and met with general approval, although legal disputes meant that it was not until 1880 that GMT was formally established across the UK.Fleming's two papers were considered so important that in June 1879 the British Government forwarded copies to eighteen foreign countries and to various scientific bodies in England.These proposals did not meet universal approval in the scientific community, being opposed by John Rodgers, Superintendent of the Naval Observatory, Washington and British Astronomer Royal, George Airy who had both established wire services supporting local time in various cities.[6] Nevertheless, the United States passed an Act of Congress on 3 August 1882 authorizing the President to call an international conference to fix on a common prime meridian for time and longitude throughout the world.This requirement conflicted with the need to base measurements on an established observatory on land and Fleming's proposal of using the anti-meridian of Greenwich was not supported by the British delegation.

Local times in major towns across the United States, as published in 1857 when, as the document states, 'There is no "Standard Railroad Time" in the United States or Canada'

Greenwich meridianUnited StatesWashington, D.C.C. R. P. RodgersUniversal Timeprime meridianU.S. PresidentChester A. ArthurlongitudeInternational Geographical CongresschartsGreat Western RailwayCharles F. DowdWashington meridianSandford FlemingCanadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Institutelocal mean timesolar timeCleveland AbbeJohn RodgersNaval Observatory, WashingtonAstronomer RoyalGeorge AiryHarvardtransatlantic cabletime ballBostonVenicefait accompliAustria-HungaryBrazilColombiaCosta RicaDenmarkFranceGermanyGuatemalaHawaiiLiberiaMexicoNetherlandsOttoman EmpireParaguayRussiaSalvadorSanto DomingoSweden–NorwaySwitzerlandUnited KingdomBritish IndiaCanadaVenezuelaDominican Republictime zonesBattle of TrafalgarInternational Astronomical UnionLuís CrulsImperial Observatory of Rio de JaneiroU.S. Naval ObservatoryPierre JanssenSir F. J. O. EvansJ. C. AdamsCambridge ObservatoryRichard StracheyCouncil of IndiaW. D. AlexanderLuther AholoKikuchi DairokuUniversity of TokyoC. de StruveM. de J. GalvanCarl LewenhauptEmil FreyLewis Morris RutherfurdW. T. SampsonFrancisco Vidal GormazAhmet Rüstem Beyanti-meridianBureau International de l'HeureWorld War IBibcodeProject GutenbergInternet ArchivePresident of the United StatesVice President of the United StatesLemmon v. New YorkSS Central AmericaCollector of the Port of New York1880 United States presidential election1880 Republican National ConventionChester Alan Arthur State Historic SiteChester A. Arthur HomeAlbany Rural CemeteryPresidencyInauguration of Chester A. ArthurForeign policyStar Route scandalPendleton Civil Service Reform ActUnited States Civil Service CommissionTariff of 1883Immigration Act of 1882Chinese Exclusion ActEdmunds ActIndian Appropriations Act of 1885Bureau of Animal IndustryList of federal judges appointed by Chester A. ArthurStatue of Chester A. ArthurNell ArthurChester Alan Arthur IIGavin ArthurWilliam ArthurMary Arthur McElroy← James A. GarfieldGrover Cleveland →← William A. WheelerThomas A. Hendricks →