Search This Blog

Saturday, 12 April 2014

Chronometer

Accurate navigation at sea has always been critically important but, until the invention of the marine chronometer, it was extremely difficult, if not impossible. In 1714 the British government announced a £20,000 prize – worth almost £3 million today – for anyone who could solve the problem.

The Wakefield- born clockmaker John Harrison devoted his life to the task and finally got his reward
in 1765.

The term chronometer was coined in 1714 by Jeremy Thacker, an early competitor for the prize set by the Longitude Act in the same year.

Railroad chronometers were introduced in 1893 by Webb C. Ball of the General Railroad Timepiece Standards in North America.

Source Radio Times 

No comments:

Post a Comment