Why Britain is the Center of the World

Sdílet
Vložit
  • čas přidán 21. 11. 2019
  • It has to do with trains, map makers, and politics.
    I launched a company brighttrip.com
    Get two free months of unlimited online courses: skl.sh/johnnyharris5
    whoops! I made a little error. I made it look like the North and South lines go up to 180 degrees which they don't. they go to 90 degrees north (North Pole) and 90 degree south (South Pole) sorry about that!
    I really like this timezone map: upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...
    Here are some resources for timezones:
    savvytime.com/converter/gmt-t...
    www.timeanddate.com/time/map/
    24timezones.com/timezone-map
    - ways to support -
    My Patreon: / johnnyharris
    Our custom Presets & LUTs: store.dftba.com/products/john...
    - where to find me -
    Instagram: / johnny.harris
    Tiktok: / johnny.harris
    Facebook: / johnnyharrisvox
    Iz's (my wife’s) channel: / iz-harris
    - how i make my videos -
    Tom Fox makes my music, work with him here: tfbeats.com/
    I make maps using this AE Plugin: aescripts.com/geolayers/?aff=77
    All the gear I use: www.izharris.com/gear-guide
    - my courses -
    Learn a language: brighttrip.com/course/language/
    Visual storytelling: www.brighttrip.com/courses/vi...
    - about -
    Johnny Harris is a filmmaker and journalist. He currently is based in Washington, DC, reporting on interesting trends and stories domestically and around the globe. Johnny's visual style blends motion graphics with cinematic videography to create content that explains complex issues in relatable ways. He holds a BA in international relations from Brigham Young University and an MA in international peace and conflict resolution from American University.
    - press -
    NYTimes: www.nytimes.com/2021/11/09/op...
    NYTimes: www.nytimes.com/video/opinion...
    Vox Borders: • Inside Hong Kong’s cag...
    Finding Founders: findingfounders.co/episodes/j...
    NPR Planet Money: www.npr.org/transcripts/10721...

Komentáře • 8K

  • @johnnyharris
    @johnnyharris  Před 4 lety +7262

    whoops! I made a little error. I made it look like the North and South poles go up to 180 degrees which they don't! they go to 90 degrees north (North Pole) and 90 degree south (South Pole) sorry about that!

    • @alejandrosilvafilmmaker2319
      @alejandrosilvafilmmaker2319 Před 4 lety +188

      You also wrote Columbia not Colombia lol

    • @matthijsdeboer9932
      @matthijsdeboer9932 Před 4 lety +146

      A rather monumental error mate ;). Nevertheless, sharp content and editing as always. Also, I never mentioned how I enjoyed witnessing a bit of your family life and having confirmed that traveling with children is as doable as you make it and in many ways enriching (for both parents and offspring). Thank you.

    • @chandrahasan3225
      @chandrahasan3225 Před 4 lety +26

      I was born on may 28th.

    • @dharinidube1085
      @dharinidube1085 Před 4 lety +67

      Also, the 180th meridian or the 180° longitude is common to both east and west. So you never suffix "E" or "W" to it in the maps.

    • @SamRJGrimshaw
      @SamRJGrimshaw Před 4 lety +17

      If you end up in England, you should visit the South West; places like Dartmoor are almost untouched which is unusual for the UK. Also we speak pirate down here.

  • @rhodriowen7135
    @rhodriowen7135 Před 4 lety +10791

    We’re the centre of the world because we said so

    • @lootgoblin768
      @lootgoblin768 Před 4 lety +528

      Judging by your name can we all just agree that Wales should be the center of the world... it should be the equator too because.... dragons.

    • @MasterKiy
      @MasterKiy Před 4 lety +607

      That is the most British thing to say ever

    • @raccoonmoustache
      @raccoonmoustache Před 4 lety +387

      I’m French and there will always be a Frenchman to stop you

    • @lootgoblin768
      @lootgoblin768 Před 4 lety +157

      @@raccoonmoustache I'm Welsh and I'll stop the french trust me.... right after I stop the English and have Cymru made into the earths center

    • @lootgoblin768
      @lootgoblin768 Před 4 lety +63

      @@MasterKiy Nah mate, we haven't had to threaten anyone with 'tea drowning' yet...

  • @jivati
    @jivati Před 4 lety +5392

    You forgot the most important point. The International Date Line was falling in the Pacific Ocean if we chose Greenwich as 0 degree. And so, it won’t cause trouble to any major settlement. No country would experience different dates on their land. Date would change seemlessly without creating a ruckus in any country.

    • @G60J60F80
      @G60J60F80 Před 4 lety +231

      Problem is, there are plenty of countries in the Pacific

    • @jivati
      @jivati Před 4 lety +685

      G60J60F80 Exactly. And that is why the IDL isn’t a straight line. It bends on multiple occasions to accommodate all the small island nations. See the video again and look at the IDL shape.

    • @johnnyharris
      @johnnyharris  Před 4 lety +1253

      Ohhh interesting! That’s a super important point.

    • @greycap2382
      @greycap2382 Před 4 lety +378

      I mean you could have it falling in the Atlantic Ocean without causing much trouble. But that would mean approximately China would be at the centre of the world and those white dudes would have noped the fuck out of it.

    • @aryanagarwal7742
      @aryanagarwal7742 Před 4 lety +55

      @@greycap2382 lmaooo

  • @gregboi183
    @gregboi183 Před rokem +259

    You have to admit, it's pretty convenient that the international date line goes through basically no inhabited land

    • @franticstorm7411
      @franticstorm7411 Před rokem +7

      yeah the power of a basically uninhabited island. all those countries to choose from and it comes to us. fu ckin diamond aint it! gotta piss someone off, us telling them what time it is.

    • @stevenroshni1228
      @stevenroshni1228 Před rokem +1

      Really makes it so that most of the world is awake during noon GMT

    • @stpat7614
      @stpat7614 Před 9 měsíci

      But the anti-meridian goes through Siberia!

  • @wazzupp1029
    @wazzupp1029 Před 2 lety +245

    The rest of the world: “Stop acting like you’re the centre of the universe Britain!”
    Britain: “But I am the centre of the world!”

    • @idiot20037
      @idiot20037 Před rokem

      We say center. not centre

    • @MrJackb14
      @MrJackb14 Před rokem +34

      @@idiot20037 centre is the english spelling

    • @JT-nw5iq
      @JT-nw5iq Před rokem +3

      We love being the centre

    • @sunnex474
      @sunnex474 Před rokem +28

      @@idiot20037 who is this "we"? in the UK we say centre

    • @lzdqa
      @lzdqa Před rokem +1

      @@idiot20037 we dont say center, we say centre

  • @xypnosii
    @xypnosii Před 3 lety +5666

    Colonizer: knock knock
    me: who's there
    Colonizer: Europe
    Me: Europe who?
    Colonizer: Europart of our colony

    • @davidioanhedges
      @davidioanhedges Před 3 lety +67

      Europe used to ... Go find a map of the USA, they own a lot of islands in the pacific, and have bases all over the world

    • @nicechoicee
      @nicechoicee Před 3 lety +225

      @@davidioanhedges don't take the joke too literally man....it's a good joke.

    • @donjuan69420
      @donjuan69420 Před 3 lety +23

      David Hedges the US had also colonized all of the Americas and Africa right?

    • @HDTomo
      @HDTomo Před 3 lety +31

      @@davidioanhedges people like you ruin *OUR* HISTORY COMMUNITY

    • @BenMcKenn
      @BenMcKenn Před 3 lety +11

      No, you're a poo

  • @mell3109
    @mell3109 Před rokem +186

    I think you missed an important part of time history. The reason GB was so good at sea was due to John Harrison, an English watch maker that made a watch so accurate that the problem with longitude was solved. This made the maps produced in the U.K. more accurate than everyone else’s. This together with the growth of the British Empire helped cement this notion which was why the US had already been using Greenwich as the PM (and most others).

    • @bruhbruh2290
      @bruhbruh2290 Před rokem +1

      growth of the empire was the aftermath of being good at sea, not the other way round.

    • @mell3109
      @mell3109 Před rokem +6

      @@bruhbruh2290 that was my point

    • @jillybe1873
      @jillybe1873 Před rokem

      Yes it wasn't decided in Washington DC the navigation astrolobe or whatever it was called was invented in Greenwich. Maybe that American meeting was just BLAH BLAH

    • @shallowgod5539
      @shallowgod5539 Před rokem

      yeah yeah we all saw the Jay Foreman video

    • @mell3109
      @mell3109 Před rokem +3

      @@shallowgod5539 who is Jay Foreman?

  • @expressoevangelism80
    @expressoevangelism80 Před rokem +44

    The inventor of the clock that allowed for accurate navigation East and West by the vertical lines of latitude was English, and so as a consequence the point of origin started in England.

    • @luisv8431
      @luisv8431 Před rokem +2

      England is still the biggest country in the therms of amount of inventions/ discoveries, scientifically and technology up today, and had the largest empire in the world

    • @theeternal6890
      @theeternal6890 Před rokem

      But that's not true.

    • @sutenjarl1162
      @sutenjarl1162 Před rokem

      @@theeternal6890 It is tho

  • @bjoe385
    @bjoe385 Před 3 lety +5654

    World: “why is Britain the centre of the world?”
    Britain: “because we said it is”

    • @soldierbr8726
      @soldierbr8726 Před 3 lety +127

      because everyone said it is

    • @TheDailyDoseOfReddit
      @TheDailyDoseOfReddit Před 3 lety +67

      @@soldierbr8726 it rly isnt but ok

    • @scintillam_dei
      @scintillam_dei Před 3 lety +6

      Hitler. "Und vy ist England not destroyed? Because I saved dem at Dunkirk, and then spared them by attacking Russland instead."

    • @scintillam_dei
      @scintillam_dei Před 3 lety +19

      he Brutish Empire wasn't the biggest. That's a popular misconception based on ignorance and hypocrisy. The hypocrisy is in counting land but not waves, when the British admit seas count: "Hail Britannia! Britannia rules the waves!" Well, Iberia ruled more because Felipe II, the Spanish Emperor, shared no ocean with anyone except three seas with Turks (Med. Red & Persian Gulf) whereas the British never had an entire ocean to themselves, always having to share with the French and the Spanish and the Russians and others.

    • @DrLennieSmall
      @DrLennieSmall Před 3 lety +165

      @@scintillam_dei Argument makes no sense and you don't even know the lyrics to Rule Brittania

  • @ai-g472
    @ai-g472 Před 4 lety +2007

    I live in Greenwich it is not an outskirts town it’s a normal busy borough in South East London it’s like saying the Bronx is an outskirts town in New York

    • @ThePsychicProject
      @ThePsychicProject Před 4 lety +390

      @@dafydd9375 more people than your comment

    • @MrRobloxguy
      @MrRobloxguy Před 4 lety +138

      I'm pretty sure he meant it was an outskirts town at the time of the vote.

    • @helena-dn3ok
      @helena-dn3ok Před 4 lety +30

      I live in the borough too, and I have to agree with you.

    • @boinqity4621
      @boinqity4621 Před 4 lety +52

      outskirts doesn’t mean not busy, it means outside of the main city

    • @Erik-zd2oi
      @Erik-zd2oi Před 4 lety +7

      @@ThePsychicProject more people see the first comment

  • @TheMarrification
    @TheMarrification Před rokem +55

    The map being like that with the UK in the middle means that the edges of the map cut through the least amount of land possible which is handy.

  • @Cythreill
    @Cythreill Před 2 lety +71

    "It goes through a little outskirts town called Greenwich." 😂 Love your videos Johnny! But if you lived in Greenwich as a young person these days, it would be considered relatively central, and certainly part of the city proper.

    • @stephaniesadie832
      @stephaniesadie832 Před rokem +7

      Greenwich was a small village when the Observatory was built, because as a small village away from the city, it had dark skies with little artificial light. Then the city grew round it and ruined the observation.

  • @theemperor6413
    @theemperor6413 Před 3 lety +2260

    "Britain was just really good at ocean" - Johnny Harris 2019

    • @blum7076
      @blum7076 Před 3 lety +15

      China is better during that time

    • @theemperor6413
      @theemperor6413 Před 3 lety +125

      @@blum7076 I dont think that is true

    • @dt3692
      @dt3692 Před 3 lety +45

      @@blum7076 China 😂🤦‍♀️

    • @videosub5d
      @videosub5d Před 3 lety +38

      @@blum7076 haha learn some history..

    • @OnlyGrafting
      @OnlyGrafting Před 3 lety +73

      @@blum7076 I seem to remember China having issues with British gunboats sailing up their rivers.

  • @Permilias
    @Permilias Před 4 lety +2425

    Let's be honest here, this is also the most practical way to center a map, nobody wants to cut asia or america in half...

    • @dyeramacrafts5493
      @dyeramacrafts5493 Před 4 lety +237

      Well...in fact a lot of world maps in China are centered in the Pacific Ocean (roughly in line with Canberra) with the USA to the east and Europe to the west. It doesn't cut America in half, the divide just falls on the Atlantic ocean instead of the Pacific. Greenland is the only major landmass that gets split across the gap

    • @ZillyCatboi
      @ZillyCatboi Před 4 lety +126

      Umm...I want to cut America in half

    • @deontaetrott5752
      @deontaetrott5752 Před 4 lety +49

      england #1 U.S #2

    • @Literally-Brian
      @Literally-Brian Před 4 lety +61

      Dyerama Crafts but in this design nothing gets Cut in half, not even Greenland

    • @TomtheMagician21
      @TomtheMagician21 Před 4 lety +1

      Dyerama Crafts but he said that’s not practical 🤭

  • @slocad11
    @slocad11 Před 2 lety +73

    The reasons I keep coming back to watch your videos is 1) cool and random topics 2) I like listening to you because you are natural teacher and story teller 3) it is easy to follow your logic as you lead viewers down a trail of crumbs 4) I can use your videos to teach a broad range of topics to my English language learning students in Belarus and Russia - as long as I slow the playback speed down to 0.75 cause, um, you speak pretty quickly for them to follow. Anyway, thank you, Johnny for doing a brilliant job on gathering an array of facts, graphics to explain them, keeping people focused and informed at the end.

    • @kofisam4106
      @kofisam4106 Před 2 lety +1

      if we have to go by the imaginary lines on the global map, Britain is not the center of the world, the Greenwich meridian passes through many countries in the world, including Spain, Algeria, Burkina Faso and Ghana...but the actual center of the world is where the equator meets the Greenwich meridian, that’s in the Gulf of Guinea, and the nearest country to that point is the west African country of Ghana 🇬🇭

  • @LetsLearn_Guitar
    @LetsLearn_Guitar Před rokem +3

    I think this is one of the best video I have seen GMT topic and must a watch for all kids/adults studying geography subject. How easily you have explained these complicated topics. It at times becomes difficult to understand when you just read and read instead watch and learn. Thanks a lot to you ! Wish you the best for all future assignments.

  • @mrgopnik5964
    @mrgopnik5964 Před 3 lety +1807

    Other countries: „you are not the center of the world!“
    Britain: „actually...“

  • @bramhouben1628
    @bramhouben1628 Před 4 lety +480

    I love how I'm entertained and brain trained at the same time

    • @moisesmartinezcortez1860
      @moisesmartinezcortez1860 Před 4 lety +10

      that's a great synonym to say learning lmao

    • @cjadventures8840
      @cjadventures8840 Před 4 lety

      Moises Martinez Cortez not everyone likes learning

    • @lingy69
      @lingy69 Před 4 lety

      @@moisesmartinezcortez1860 woah, don't try to force lessons on me, keep this piece of entertaining and factual media how it is, StUpId MiLlEnNiAls

    • @Passportbros8
      @Passportbros8 Před 2 lety

      GHANA IS THE CENTER OF THE EARTH. Johnny Harris STOP SPEAKING LIES AND PROPAGANDA.
      GHANA IS AT THE CENTER OF THE WORLD. ALL YOU PEOPLE IN THIS COMMENTS ARE BRAINWASHED. WHEN GOD YAHSHUA COMES BACK EVERYONE WILL SEE AND CONFESS THE TRUTH. YOU EUROPEANS AND WESTERNERS, EASTERNERS, SOUTH, LOVE TO WHITEWASH THE WORD OF GOD YAHWEH. YOU TAKE THE HOLY BIBLE AND WHITEWASH IT.
      WHEN YAHSHUA COMES BACK, YOU WILL SEE AND CONFESS THE TRUTH. n.

  • @robfer5370
    @robfer5370 Před rokem +49

    World: “why is Britain the centre of the world?”
    Britain: "Because we invented the modern world"
    Britain: "Your welcome"

  • @crazyresh
    @crazyresh Před 2 lety +4

    Absolutely love the way you explain things.. you make complex things easy to understand 👏 Have been binge watching your videos, and I cannot stop!

    • @Passportbros8
      @Passportbros8 Před 2 lety

      GHANA IS THE CENTER OF THE EARTH. Johnny Harris STOP SPEAKING LIES AND PROPAGANDA.
      GHANA IS AT THE CENTER OF THE WORLD. ALL YOU PEOPLE IN THIS COMMENTS ARE BRAINWASHED. WHEN GOD YAHSHUA COMES BACK EVERYONE WILL SEE AND CONFESS THE TRUTH. YOU EUROPEANS AND WESTERNERS, EASTERNERS, SOUTH, LOVE TO WHITEWASH THE WORD OF GOD YAHWEH. YOU TAKE THE HOLY BIBLE AND WHITEWASH IT.
      WHEN YAHSHUA COMES BACK, YOU WILL SEE AND CONFESS THE TRUTH.

    • @WhoMadeThisBurger69
      @WhoMadeThisBurger69 Před rokem

      you find it complex that a map was centered where it's made?

  • @midimusicforever
    @midimusicforever Před 3 lety +1870

    A US president that nobody remembers. That sounds like a good guy!

    • @kele8559
      @kele8559 Před 3 lety +117

      Yeah, nothing bad to remember.

    • @sekaihunter9378
      @sekaihunter9378 Před 3 lety +73

      @@kele8559 So either bad guys or got assassinated to be remembered-

    • @charlessands6933
      @charlessands6933 Před 3 lety +15

      Not remembering Arthur isn't a problem, being of any decent age and not knowing who he was. ???

    • @azzamandreas862
      @azzamandreas862 Před 3 lety +2

      william henry harrison

    • @charlessands6933
      @charlessands6933 Před 3 lety +11

      The majority of Americans I'm sure don't remember more than two or three that occur that lived before their lifetime so you can't go by what American know because we are sorely lacking not only in what we know about our history but even having an interest in our history. I surprised my history teacher during high school because I was one of the few people who actually gave a shit.

  • @kaiser_Haux
    @kaiser_Haux Před 3 lety +865

    Let’s cut it short: it’s the centre because we put the line there

    • @him050
      @him050 Před 3 lety +3

      Kaiser Haux - literally just commented the same thing 😂

    • @jackwilliams6604
      @jackwilliams6604 Před 3 lety +6

      And has the line moved?no , i think the line is happy to be there .

    • @NotDominic26
      @NotDominic26 Před 3 lety +4

      @@jackwilliams6604 I think the line would have to BE moved, and the world doesn't seem that desperate to do that.

    • @pinicals4470
      @pinicals4470 Před 3 lety +1

      Deez nutz are centered on your chin

    • @andyhx2
      @andyhx2 Před 3 lety +2

      It's also very practical, because when you look at map it would be really weird, if you had center of map in the middle of Asia and one part of America would be western hemisphere, and one part would be eastern hemisphere... Of course precise choice of London is obviously biased but the approximate choice of 0 point was certainly not just based of British dominance.

  • @FreePokemonGiveaway
    @FreePokemonGiveaway Před 2 lety

    Thanks for making me a little smarter every video I watch. By far one of the most entertaining people I watch across all media platforms

  • @dimitarsotirov5902
    @dimitarsotirov5902 Před 2 lety +4

    Awesome content! I am very interested in Geography too and would be great to see more videos from you :)

    • @kofisam4106
      @kofisam4106 Před 2 lety

      if we have to go by the imaginary lines on the global map, Britain is not the center of the world, the Greenwich meridian passes through many countries in the world, including Spain, Algeria, Burkina Faso and Ghana...but the actual center of the world is where the equator meets the Greenwich meridian, that’s in the Gulf of Guinea, and the nearest country to that point is the west African country of Ghana 🇬🇭

  • @jacobandrew8696
    @jacobandrew8696 Před 3 lety +1189

    Johnny: I'm gonna go to the Royal Observatory next year.
    2020: *laughs in Coronavirus*

    • @Alexander_Dunn
      @Alexander_Dunn Před 3 lety +5

      J Andrew copyright Canadian Operator, you plagiarised his comment, reported

    • @agent0422
      @agent0422 Před 3 lety +2

      Exactly what I thought when he said it lol

    • @d.c.8828
      @d.c.8828 Před 3 lety +1

      **Reported**

    • @areyoucereals
      @areyoucereals Před 3 lety +4

      @@d.c.8828 Bruh I was gonna comment the same thing but then I saw someone beat me to it.

    • @punch80
      @punch80 Před 3 lety

      Lol

  • @CCHBrown
    @CCHBrown Před 3 lety +470

    You omitted the whole story of developing an accurate method of measuring longitude. In the early 1700s an Englishman John Harrison responding to a competition by the British Government designed a clock that was accurate enough to keep time to Greenwich Mean Time within 2 minutes in the harsh conditions at sea. This enabled ships to calculate their local time and compare it to an accurate GMT to determine an accurate longitude measurement. Which I believe is why 100 years later they all decided to use GMT as it was already the de facto point of measurement. The whole story is probably worth a video of its own.

    • @ronrichardson3103
      @ronrichardson3103 Před 3 lety +21

      We just couldn't sit around waiting for someone else to figure it out. So we did it and it was accepted .it's too late now how change things . Tuff

    • @careeraspectstv8018
      @careeraspectstv8018 Před 3 lety +1

      Yep, i pointed that out too!

    • @KazeKumo
      @KazeKumo Před 3 lety +8

      John harisson was actually time traveller.

    • @johnarose2837
      @johnarose2837 Před 3 lety +6

      There was a book. Just read it. He made 3 clocks the last a pocket type watch the other two still operate.

    • @moltderenou
      @moltderenou Před 3 lety +1

      Here you go czcams.com/video/T-g27KS0yiY/video.html

  • @jamiearnott9669
    @jamiearnott9669 Před 2 lety +1

    Your videos are really well made, thanks from someone watching in royal borough of Greenwich near the observatory.

  • @nige-g
    @nige-g Před 16 dny

    I thoroughly enjoyed the video, I'm not a map or time nerd, but I couldn't stop watching.❤
    Well done, and thank you.

  • @ivanbrajcic6007
    @ivanbrajcic6007 Před 4 lety +265

    Greenwich, another big reason it was chosen, ordered the first acurate chronometer that can be used at sea. At first it was only available to the navy but later to the merchant fleet. Since all ships going on long voyages had to go to London(greenwich) to get the chronometer checked and since they were the first to have acurate chronometers it would be natural to choose them for the prime meridian.

    • @Paul1962
      @Paul1962 Před 4 lety +17

      Glad to hear someone that knows what they are taking about

    • @mitch9237
      @mitch9237 Před 4 lety +19

      it kinda seems like almost no research went into this video

    • @Paul1962
      @Paul1962 Před 4 lety +6

      @@mitch9237 yeah, I think you're right there

    • @andrewwilson3034
      @andrewwilson3034 Před 4 lety +12

      @@mitch9237 No but he did manage to make a dig at white people (SJW and white guilt) If we were waiting for Kunte Kinte to Circumnavigate and Map the Globe we would still be waiting.

    • @triikz1370
      @triikz1370 Před 4 lety +7

      Andrew Wilson Thanks for taking a dig at black people by referring to them at kunte kinte, just because a white American guy took a dig at how a group of white guys decide everything. Go be racist irl and see if u don’t lose ur teeth

  • @isaacsimmonds3119
    @isaacsimmonds3119 Před 4 lety +231

    "Outskirts Town called Greenwich"... Oh my, Greenwich is very much London haha

    • @stischer47
      @stischer47 Před 4 lety +35

      Ah, but at the time, it was on the "outskirts" of Victorian London.

    • @oligultonn
      @oligultonn Před 4 lety +2

      stischer47 true but now you can't see any countryside from Greenwich as it is far inside Greater London.

    • @sasmalprasanjit2764
      @sasmalprasanjit2764 Před 4 lety +1

      U mean Outskirt of Victorian London. By 1884 ..?

    • @ApaticamenteDisposto
      @ApaticamenteDisposto Před 4 lety +1

      Well.... Like Nanterre is "very much" Paris.

    • @BM-rw8ty
      @BM-rw8ty Před 4 lety

      Pedro Caio many people would disagree, Paris isn’t a city about size. It’s incredibly dense.

  • @judebela
    @judebela Před 2 lety

    Johnny Harris the king of Explainers. This was fun to watch. Thanks for this amazing video.

    • @Passportbros8
      @Passportbros8 Před 2 lety

      GHANA IS THE CENTER OF THE EARTH. Johnny Harris STOP SPEAKING LIES AND PROPAGANDA.
      GHANA IS AT THE CENTER OF THE WORLD. ALL YOU PEOPLE IN THIS COMMENTS ARE BRAINWASHED. WHEN GOD YAHSHUA COMES BACK EVERYONE WILL SEE AND CONFESS THE TRUTH. YOU EUROPEANS AND WESTERNERS, EASTERNERS, SOUTH, LOVE TO WHITEWASH THE WORD OF GOD YAHWEH. YOU TAKE THE HOLY BIBLE AND WHITEWASH IT.
      WHEN YAHSHUA COMES BACK, YOU WILL SEE AND CONFESS THE TRUTH. n.

  • @suzilahlah
    @suzilahlah Před rokem

    This is amazing info. Thank you

  • @danielmarrs-gant9669
    @danielmarrs-gant9669 Před 4 lety +1363

    I'd say Greenwich is part of London, not an outskirt, but hey ho

    • @mileshicks8996
      @mileshicks8996 Před 4 lety +94

      but in the 1800s when they decided on Greenwich it would have been the outskirts

    • @nonegiven2830
      @nonegiven2830 Před 4 lety +13

      ​@@mileshicks8996 Actually, it's a high point that you can see from the old docklands in london, which is why it was chosen.
      There's a ball on top of a pole at the Greenwich observatory and at midday it drops so ships at the docks can calibrate their time before setting sale.
      It's also in the middle of London, I mean, it's right on the river but sure... it's "on the outskirts"

    • @TryptychUK
      @TryptychUK Před 4 lety +6

      @@nonegiven2830 The middle of London is the city, and Greenwich is close to five miles from there.
      (St Paul's to the Observatory.)

    • @nonegiven2830
      @nonegiven2830 Před 4 lety +17

      @@TryptychUK The city of London is a city in a city, in a country in a country.
      It's like nesting dolls

    • @TryptychUK
      @TryptychUK Před 4 lety +2

      @@nonegiven2830 The city of London still remains the heart of what is now a far bigger metropolis. It is also not really a county, as it has absorbed Middlesex and other outlying regions.

  • @tomasleslie9265
    @tomasleslie9265 Před 4 lety +1235

    Imagine calling Greenwich a little outskirts town
    ITS IN LONDON MATE

    • @JayGriffinblaze
      @JayGriffinblaze Před 4 lety +46

      Only to Southies. Northies be like, "oh you have a tube line?"

    • @alanssnack1192
      @alanssnack1192 Před 4 lety +10

      greenwich is still like a small village

    • @popz5337
      @popz5337 Před 4 lety +61

      @@alanssnack1192 it's not a village. I live in Greenwich btw

    • @kdog5041
      @kdog5041 Před 4 lety +126

      It was a little outskirts town at the time, before London became the all-devouring monstrosity it's become.

    • @alanssnack1192
      @alanssnack1192 Před 4 lety +1

      @@popz5337 if u live in greewich, then do you now that ship that burnt down?

  • @ChefDeeRock
    @ChefDeeRock Před rokem +5

    Please make a video on why the start of a new day is 12 midnight . I know it could be broken down in a few simple sentence but I would love your 10-20 minute breakdown .

  • @SilvioFYT
    @SilvioFYT Před 7 měsíci

    wow thank you so much for this, i love this type of useful education

  • @dantaylor9132
    @dantaylor9132 Před 4 lety +1495

    You’re the first American I’ve ever heard pronounce Greenwich right

    • @juliansenfr
      @juliansenfr Před 4 lety +120

      Props to him but seriously though, why the heck is it spelled...that but pronounced Gree-nitch
      Same goes to Worcestershire sauce and a bunch of other words, like y'all British people man I swear.

    • @jamesporter628
      @jamesporter628 Před 4 lety +32

      @@juliansenfr silent letters and different way British people pronounce different sounds I think also I think they like to shorten the way things are said

    • @laexploradoraaaXD
      @laexploradoraaaXD Před 4 lety +57

      There's a Greenwich Village in NYC.

    • @GaviLazan
      @GaviLazan Před 4 lety +33

      Most Americans know how to say Greenwich correctly...

    • @nonegiven2830
      @nonegiven2830 Před 4 lety +56

      @@juliansenfr because we made up the language and we'll pronounce things how we want :)

  • @excalibur6159
    @excalibur6159 Před 4 lety +403

    Editing is gold level at this channel...

  • @markpattison7683
    @markpattison7683 Před rokem

    Just started watching your videos very impressed I am

  • @wilfredochalas4047
    @wilfredochalas4047 Před 2 lety

    Dominican here! During the Chester Arthur government in US my country's name was already Dominican Republic. Nice to hear you mentioned my country in one of your videos because I love them.

  • @africareigns
    @africareigns Před 3 lety +245

    The power of the British Empire, when geographical locations in relation to the UK like the Middle East and the Far East are still being used.

    • @africareigns
      @africareigns Před 3 lety +7

      @Johnson Taylor Yeah. Power.

    • @africareigns
      @africareigns Před 3 lety +18

      @EDU VELANDIA Don't be silly. The Americas was known about and travelled to and fro in the 1600s and the terms Middle East and Far East were terms used in the mid 1800s.

    • @africareigns
      @africareigns Před 3 lety +6

      @EDU VELANDIA I'm fully aware of where the naming of America stems from. I answered your question in relation to chronology.

    • @angelau1194
      @angelau1194 Před 3 lety +9

      @@africareigns And before that. Didn't the Vikings travel to America way way before the 1600"s.

    • @africareigns
      @africareigns Před 3 lety +5

      @@angelau1194 Yes they did. Not many people know that. I guess they don't want it in the school curriculum.

  • @Bella-xu5vv
    @Bella-xu5vv Před 3 lety +419

    👁👄👁 me watching this and living in Greenwich seeing my school and house on the screen

  • @michaelyen3116
    @michaelyen3116 Před 2 lety

    Thank you for the information. You are the best

  • @matt3719
    @matt3719 Před rokem +4

    You can visit the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, it's on a hill in a park with beautiful views of east London. Greenwich itself is a tourist-packed but quite charming little area within London. It's not really in the outskirts, it's more in a residential-ish area, it's just London is a gigantic city so it's not close to any of the very central things.
    If you pay to enter the observatory (it's now a museum) you can stand on the prime meridian on the floor, it comes out of this weird building which is "officially" where it is. There's loads of cool stuff in the museum about time and space, including the chronometers which solved the Longitude Problem (a fascinating topic in itself).

  • @hafsayousuf2430
    @hafsayousuf2430 Před 4 lety +107

    Low key wish Johnny could go to the international space station, see the earth from space and make an awesome video out of it - whatever topic it may be. Bet that will be super awesome.

    • @biomutarist6832
      @biomutarist6832 Před 4 lety +5

      Ooh, well who knows? Maybe we can make it happen, somehow?

  • @dandotvid
    @dandotvid Před 3 lety +291

    10:30 "I'm gonna' go to the Royal Observatory this year, next year."
    Oh how innocent he was....

    • @johndododoe1411
      @johndododoe1411 Před 3 lety

      Is it even still there?

    • @renansilveira2013
      @renansilveira2013 Před 3 lety +13

      @@johndododoe1411 why wouldn't it be?

    • @reddeviluk
      @reddeviluk Před 2 lety +1

      @@johndododoe1411 here in the UK, we DO history...... Of course it's there.

    • @realtwovo
      @realtwovo Před rokem +1

      @@johndododoe1411 look at the video published date

    • @johndododoe1411
      @johndododoe1411 Před rokem

      @@realtwovo Look it up.

  • @BobGnarley.
    @BobGnarley. Před rokem +23

    I actually know this one! Bear with me because there are a lot of interesting factors leading to the prime meridian.
    Sailors used to sail by latitude only as you could only use the stars to determine latitude - this led to of the disaster of the Isles of Scilly (one of the greatest British naval distasters in history). After this disaster (which was known to be a direct result of sailing via Latitude only), Royalty created a competition with a large monetary prize for anybody who could create an accurate time keeping device.
    There were already time keepers but they were typically poor which is unacceptable in terms of tracking your position on the globe - this competition saw sailors take various devices on massive voyages to test their accuracy in the salt water etc and returrn with proof of an accurate seaworthy time keeper.
    John Harrison won this competition to create an accurate timekeeping device (for which he was apparently never fully paid) and ended up creating the modern watch as we know it.
    And accurate watches at that. These "watches" were used in conjunction with an arbitrary point - the Greenwich "meridian" to determine Longitude and enabled sailors to travel without sounding and with precision never seen before. The fact that Britain is the center is due to the genius of our creations - without which travelling the world was much more about guess work. Pretty amazing history
    It's less about Britain saying "we claim the center of the Earth!" and more about Britain saying "we invented the method to determine your longitude at all". Other countries could of course disagree and use their own system, which would lead to their own issues. They agreed to go along with our innovation because it made sense, was universal and was appropriately lined up with the worlds greatest naval center.
    Definitely look into it more would make a great video! would also inform a ton of people about history looking at the comments. It saddens me a little to think this history is lost, most people who know are history buffs when I believe it's important enough to be common knowledge.

  • @thenonhuman941
    @thenonhuman941 Před 2 lety

    Keep up the great work!

  • @Coolmark123
    @Coolmark123 Před 4 lety +27

    Johnny Harris is literally making Vox videos in his free time. Keep up this amazing work!!

  • @roberthayward6499
    @roberthayward6499 Před 3 lety +2170

    If Britain truly was the center of the world, you’d be spelling it “centre” instead. ;)

    • @coletrain5667
      @coletrain5667 Před 3 lety +209

      Soon we'll all be spelling it 中央

    • @sami2351
      @sami2351 Před 3 lety +6

      @@coletrain5667 what why

    • @penguin-tc1cx
      @penguin-tc1cx Před 3 lety +78

      pixel eb it’s a joke... means center in chinese so he/she’s saying China will be the center of the world soon

    • @rvc067
      @rvc067 Před 3 lety +65

      well i think china literally means "middle kingdom" 😬

    • @arnijulian6241
      @arnijulian6241 Před 3 lety +49

      it is spelled that way just that you and your nation can't do it right. its called English for a reason. ''mom'' you bloody simpletons. The British invented the fist digital computer even though it weighed a ton and the internet. so by logic dictation England/Britain should be the basis for it own damn language on writing software.

  • @alirezakasmaei5072
    @alirezakasmaei5072 Před rokem

    Great videos you make. Thanks!

  • @jamesgornall5731
    @jamesgornall5731 Před rokem +12

    If you want a nice day out go and stand on the prime meridian as it goes through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich. You can see Harrison's marine chronometers there too which were possibly the most significant invention of their time regarding navigation across oceans, allowing the world to develop with far, far fewer shipwrecks and effectively normalising the seas for commerce and travel.

    • @BobGnarley.
      @BobGnarley. Před rokem

      Funnily enough if you try to measure the prime meridian via GPS ( a proper accurate GPS not yourr phone) the meridian line at the observatory is wrong by about 100ft. Cant remember why but Tom Scott had a video on it

    • @jamesgornall5731
      @jamesgornall5731 Před rokem +1

      @@BobGnarley. not bad for something of its time

  • @tianamatson
    @tianamatson Před 4 lety +39

    FASCINATING!! I love this kind of stuff! I'm actually glad Britain ended up zero cause the international date line is now in the middle of the ocean where it impacts the least amount of people. That would be nuts if it just ran down the middle of Australia or something.

    • @rlamacraft
      @rlamacraft Před 4 lety +10

      Firstly, one of the main reasons London was chosen was to avoid that very reason. And secondly, the countries that are impacted just stick to being on one side; hence the messiness

    • @gatopsaro4262
      @gatopsaro4262 Před 4 lety +4

      You people opened my eyes , seriously . English's my 2nd language so your comments intrigued me enough to translate a few words lol i feel you helped me realize how part of our world works .. i must ve really missed dat geography class back in school . Thx ya

  • @jameslim2133
    @jameslim2133 Před 4 lety +36

    London probably chosen as John Harrison was British and invented the sea clock to determine longitude correctly while at sea.

    • @mjreagle
      @mjreagle Před 4 lety +5

      Yes this! The video made no mention of the longitude problem and John Harrison's excellent work. If you go the Royal Observatory some of his clocks are on display. ...read the book "Longitude" be Dava Sobell. Maybe a topic for another video!

    • @tomaszdolan9031
      @tomaszdolan9031 Před 4 lety +1

      Also the whole concept of a world standard and time zones was created by a scotsman ie British.. so if we came up with the idea and the methods, we get to put that zero wherever the fk we want lol.

    • @Paul1962
      @Paul1962 Před 4 lety

      Good man!

  • @purnashmusic8727
    @purnashmusic8727 Před rokem

    Dude!!! What a great video!

  • @Muskokaloon
    @Muskokaloon Před 2 lety

    another video gem! Enjoyed the story. And of course Newfoundland has a half hour time zone. As a Canadian that comes with many eye rolls. You will enjoy Greenwich. Maybe a 22 birthday gift on the 28th.

  • @morganyu3838
    @morganyu3838 Před 3 lety +887

    Britain: So why are we doing this?
    Other Countries: Well, we figured it would save us all a lot of trouble if we chose a single line on which to set our clocks.
    Britain: You know, we have such a line in Greenwich, at the Royal Observatory.
    Other Countries: Yes, well. The other reason was to reconcile timetables for trains.
    Britain: You know, we invented the locomotive, and the rail networks, and the bridges over which the train travels...
    Other Countries: Would you like to be the center of...
    Britain: ... _yes please!_ _Jolly good!_

    • @maysyjama9683
      @maysyjama9683 Před 3 lety +12

      Ya I saw the line when we went on a science trip ,astronomy, I just dident understand what it was for.....

    • @mc09y
      @mc09y Před 3 lety +8

      that was V fun to read in a british accent

    • @noyoudontgettoknowmyname6217
      @noyoudontgettoknowmyname6217 Před 3 lety +1

      Yes Just yes

    • @coalcoal7320
      @coalcoal7320 Před 3 lety +10

      I don’t know where that wierd stereotype of how British people talk started but it’s so far from how we talk

    • @morganyu3838
      @morganyu3838 Před 3 lety +3

      @@coalcoal7320 Google: "received pronunciation" 😊

  • @TJl919
    @TJl919 Před 4 lety +68

    Really interesting video Johnny! As a suggestion for borders (or as a personal video) you should cover “the Stans” in Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan etc) and how their borders are arbitrary lines created by Stalin to instil tension in the region. Learning about it in one of my modules and I’m finding it really interesting!

    • @Passportbros8
      @Passportbros8 Před 2 lety

      GHANA IS THE CENTER OF THE EARTH. Johnny Harris STOP SPEAKING LIES AND PROPAGANDA.
      GHANA IS AT THE CENTER OF THE WORLD. ALL YOU PEOPLE IN THIS COMMENTS ARE BRAINWASHED. WHEN GOD YAHSHUA COMES BACK EVERYONE WILL SEE AND CONFESS THE TRUTH. YOU EUROPEANS AND WESTERNERS, EASTERNERS, SOUTH, LOVE TO WHITEWASH THE WORD OF GOD YAHWEH. YOU TAKE THE HOLY BIBLE AND WHITEWASH IT.
      WHEN YAHSHUA COMES BACK, YOU WILL SEE AND CONFESS THE TRUTH. n.

  • @normahopkin3393
    @normahopkin3393 Před rokem

    Great thanks really enjoyable and interesting, took me back to schooldays when I was first introduced to these concepts. I really liked the idea of Britain/Greenwich being the centre of the world.

  • @user-ru9qz4oh4j
    @user-ru9qz4oh4j Před rokem

    Thanks for the work that was great

  • @ISAAKKUSH
    @ISAAKKUSH Před 4 lety +68

    This is how good education should look like: you learn a story and then it’s way easier to fill it with dry facts.
    Thanks, Johnny!

  • @leightzmill
    @leightzmill Před 3 lety +45

    It fascinates me everytime I walk on that gold line in Greenwich

  • @lucystephanieproperties
    @lucystephanieproperties Před 7 měsíci

    Oh I love this vid. Actually I just realized my science education on time zones is now almost zilch. 😂 And now I know more! Good job! 👍
    How abt a new video to show time zones vertically and not just horizontally?

  • @speedcontent4633
    @speedcontent4633 Před rokem +1

    Yoo happy birthday bro as I was watching the video I noticed it is may 28th

  • @arokbong
    @arokbong Před 4 lety +343

    Ill save you 15 minutes:
    Because they were the best at map making and had the best navy in the 1800's when it was decided by a bunch of representatives from countries in Washington.
    extra reason for nerds:
    Also cause the first chronometer was made in uk which meant all ships had to travel to the uk to correct their longitude

    • @trever9143
      @trever9143 Před 3 lety +32

      Also cause the first chronometer was made in uk which meant all ships had to travel to the uk to correct their longitude

    • @lj2684
      @lj2684 Před 3 lety

      Thanks.LOL

    • @kaboomwinn4026
      @kaboomwinn4026 Před 3 lety +1

      Don’t for get the kilogram. That all must keep the same throughout the world. From time to time 12 kilograms travel to retune to match the British kilogram.

    • @joshmain6316
      @joshmain6316 Před 3 lety +2

      @@kaboomwinn4026 its french

    • @dr_puffle
      @dr_puffle Před 3 lety

      Well yes but actually no it has nothing to do with Washington at all it is all to do with the amount of power England had at that time and the fact that America was still a buisness and a place for a fresh start

  • @StefanThyron
    @StefanThyron Před 3 lety +411

    Of course France kept making their own maps after the decision 🤣😂

    • @cheerbozz
      @cheerbozz Před 3 lety +28

      France has a bigger land mass, their geography is best of of Europe in my opinion & I’m American. Little britain is a tiny island you need a freaking magnifying class.

    • @UKchronics
      @UKchronics Před 3 lety +46

      @@cheerbozz a tiny island that conquered half the globe

    • @nochatter7134
      @nochatter7134 Před 3 lety +21

      @@UKchronics That’s a big lie perpetuated by insecure British people, britain didn’t rule nothing I’m Canadian saying this. USA, Canada are all Frontier societies where various ethnic people settled so has nothing to do with britain. In the age of Empires, Britain had to share everything with France, Spain & now other countries like USA have left Britain in the dust ! So yes britain is nothing but a small island.

    • @UKchronics
      @UKchronics Před 3 lety +44

      @@nochatter7134 you are the one who sounds insecure 😂 Britain had the largest empire in history. Pretty impressive for a tiny island..

    • @nochatter7134
      @nochatter7134 Před 3 lety +11

      @@UKchronics You lack sufficient capacity to process critical thought. I said britain shared everything with France, Spain back then & now USA that is a younger country surpassed them in power by leaps and bounds that britain is reduced to no relevance. These are facts. Britain never had power. You’re measuring power by land but the lands britain had were all DISSOLUTE either dry & arctic tundra i.e. Canada & australia. If any country had or has good lands it was Spain & USA hands down. Regardless none of those countries were ever controlled by britain.

  • @Ankit-ov4yc
    @Ankit-ov4yc Před 2 lety

    Awesome quality🔥🔥🔥🔥

  • @wojtekpolska1013
    @wojtekpolska1013 Před rokem +49

    This all can be summarized to the fact that, at the time the first proper world maps were created, The British Empire and other european powers were around their peak strenght - everything revolved around them. obviously they put themselves in the center when THEY made the maps, and later exported them to other parts of the empire.
    also the modern time zones were though of in the UK - thats why the +0 timezone is in the UK, precisely in Greenwich (Greenwich Mean Time - GMT)
    if lets say, the USA was as strong as it is today when the maps were invented, it would not be unreasonable to think the +0 would cross trough either Washington D.C, or wherever it was though of first

    • @RS__7
      @RS__7 Před rokem

      Britain is the center because God says so

    • @celtspeaksgoth7251
      @celtspeaksgoth7251 Před rokem +11

      more than that, an Englishman invented the first travelling clock which would stay true on the high seas, which meant the Royal Navy were the only ones with the equipment to accurately measure latitude & longitude, so Britain effectively invented world time

    • @maddie7164
      @maddie7164 Před 10 měsíci

      @@celtspeaksgoth7251that’s how we do it 💪🏻🇬🇧

  • @kb-tm2hm
    @kb-tm2hm Před 3 lety +468

    Honestly the map just looks the best like that, theres only 2 ways to fit all the continents cleanly

    • @massiveidiot3587
      @massiveidiot3587 Před 3 lety +8

      it's true

    • @hisenberg020
      @hisenberg020 Před 3 lety +54

      The only way this looks clean because we are used to

    • @engineergaming4295
      @engineergaming4295 Před 3 lety +116

      @@hisenberg020 it looks clean because you have the Atlantic Ocean in the middle, instead of the pacific which will push everything apart. Because you want the countries together in a smaller area.

    • @engineergaming4295
      @engineergaming4295 Před 3 lety +18

      The Atlantic Ocean is generally a lot narrower than the pacific, which takes up almost half of the world

    • @galamento9977
      @galamento9977 Před 3 lety +53

      The real reason seems to be that, if the prime meridian is over Brittan, then the international dateline goes through nothingness in the pacific. Which is ideal. I don’t know why he didn’t mention that as a reason.

  • @ChuDust
    @ChuDust Před 3 lety +198

    2:03 Small mistake - Latitude lines only go up to 90° North and 90° South. Not 180° as mentioned in the video.

    • @StuartwasDrinkell
      @StuartwasDrinkell Před 3 lety +1

      Lol... doh!

    • @anest-uk
      @anest-uk Před 3 lety +1

      You would have thought that if he's staring at it all day, then does a video about the lines on it, he would... check the numbers? Does he not know even approximately what his latitude is, or that of New York, London, Toyko? Mindboggling. I even have the website 36latitude.com because... it's the coolest latitude, generally.

    • @Passportbros8
      @Passportbros8 Před 2 lety

      GHANA IS THE CENTER OF THE EARTH. Johnny Harris STOP SPEAKING LIES AND PROPAGANDA.
      GHANA IS AT THE CENTER OF THE WORLD. ALL YOU PEOPLE IN THIS COMMENTS ARE BRAINWASHED. WHEN GOD YAHSHUA COMES BACK EVERYONE WILL SEE AND CONFESS THE TRUTH. YOU EUROPEANS AND WESTERNERS, EASTERNERS, SOUTH, LOVE TO WHITEWASH THE WORD OF GOD YAHWEH. YOU TAKE THE HOLY BIBLE AND WHITEWASH IT.
      WHEN YAHSHUA COMES BACK, YOU WILL SEE AND CONFESS THE TRUTH.

    • @GrimblyGoo
      @GrimblyGoo Před rokem +1

      read the pinned comment

  • @RobertoM892
    @RobertoM892 Před rokem

    Thanks for answering a few unsolved questions that always runs in my head every time I get on a plane lol

    • @Lil_Elegant
      @Lil_Elegant Před 4 měsíci

      GHANA IS the centre of the world not Britain

  • @hemasrashid859
    @hemasrashid859 Před 2 lety

    you are best at telling storys and making them easy to understand ,

  • @cockleshellzero3893
    @cockleshellzero3893 Před 4 lety +33

    I'm surprised there was no mention of John Harrison and his marine chronometer. He solved the longitude problem, and made accurate navigation at sea possible for the first time. This almost certainly strengthened the case for Greenwich being the prime meridian.

    • @trever9143
      @trever9143 Před 3 lety +1

      John Smith why does it matter if hes white😂

    • @cheerbozz
      @cheerbozz Před 3 lety

      The Greeks invented longitude/latitude why mention him & not mention the Greeks also.

    • @louissanderson719
      @louissanderson719 Před 2 lety

      @@cheerbozz because it was his timepiece that made the difference.

  • @RowanCaldwell2002
    @RowanCaldwell2002 Před 4 lety +621

    TL;DR: Britain invented everything, Britain invaded everything, we owned the whole shop, we invented time, God Save The Queen

    • @lingy69
      @lingy69 Před 4 lety +45

      To be fair, we did invent the computer, which is more than I can say for the rest of them NOOBS

    • @msizingubane7348
      @msizingubane7348 Před 4 lety +7

      Meters, grams, liters

    • @atharvamote4710
      @atharvamote4710 Před 4 lety +4

      @@lingy69 we invented zero. Well that escalated quickly.

    • @RowanCaldwell2002
      @RowanCaldwell2002 Před 4 lety +11

      Atharva Mote and we invaded you so we basically invented zero

    • @benjaminnewlon7865
      @benjaminnewlon7865 Před 4 lety +2

      _suuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrre_

  • @csc2886
    @csc2886 Před rokem +6

    It makes me so happy that you pronounced Greenwich correctly.

    • @metalswifty23
      @metalswifty23 Před rokem +1

      I don't think I've ever heard an American mispronounce it. They have a Greenwich in Connecticut (and possibly elsewhere), which is pronounced the same way. They have exposure to the word.

    • @NikolaHoward
      @NikolaHoward Před rokem

      No, he didn't... As someone that was born in Greenwich, London UK, and still lives here (the view from General Wolf has changed so so much in my life!)... it's pronounced Grin-ij.
      This whole Gren-itch business grates on us locals.
      The whole bloody world gets it wrong! 😞

  • @SHINeeMINHOney
    @SHINeeMINHOney Před 2 lety

    @12.00 sounds like a time travel😄 from far east to far west or vice versa would push us back or forward to a whole day!

  • @dakaraindoro8346
    @dakaraindoro8346 Před 3 lety +149

    Am I the only person that noticed that “Congo” is still called Zaire on his map.

    • @vishnuramesh171
      @vishnuramesh171 Před 3 lety +1

      I do remember making Zaire in the maps some 8 years ago

    • @aviaspotter32
      @aviaspotter32 Před 3 lety

      And Sudan is still one

    • @syjiang
      @syjiang Před 3 lety +1

      =) , I still have my map that my parents bought me in 1990. It had the Soviet Union, Zaire and unified Sudan, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia on it.

  • @user-wj8we1cz6u
    @user-wj8we1cz6u Před 4 lety +105

    I’m high as hell and have no idea why I’m even watching this but it’s a nice video

  • @bajamedic
    @bajamedic Před 2 lety

    I love seeing that map of my native lands. Orygun you are the most beautiful.

  • @Ken-S
    @Ken-S Před 2 lety

    That's amazing! When I go pass the date line, I get one more day to use.😂

  • @epilobia1
    @epilobia1 Před 3 lety +21

    I was taught that the Greenwhich Meridian was set by the British Navy centuries before , and ships captains set their timepieces by it . With this they only needed to check the declination of the sun and compare it to the time linked to Greenwhich and they could tell exactly their easterly or westerly position . It was kept a top secret and it was a major reason why Britain did come to rule the waves and become the dominant world power - brains defeated brawn .

  • @salhussain8946
    @salhussain8946 Před 4 lety +707

    I thought my ex gf was the centre of the world? Huh, guess you learn something new everyday.

  • @tylerleggett5088
    @tylerleggett5088 Před rokem

    I went on a study abroad trip for about a month to London, Paris, and Barcelona to complete my MBA in 2011. The group went to the observatory while in London. I still have the Prime Meridian of the World shot glass, though slightly broken after a pretty heavy night of drinking a few years ago.

  • @davandbre
    @davandbre Před rokem +3

    No mention of John Harris’ marine clock for navigating the oceans!

  • @Raz.C
    @Raz.C Před 4 lety +89

    Might have saved 15 minutes by saying "Because of the British Empire."
    - _"We still remember, we who dwell_
    _in these far lands, beyond the quagmire_
    _the glory of the British Empire._

    • @danieljohnson4994
      @danieljohnson4994 Před 4 lety

      @The MI6 lol I was bout to say the same thing

    • @Raz.C
      @Raz.C Před 4 lety

      @The MI6
      Oh yeah. I forgot to add that one.

    • @a05odst62
      @a05odst62 Před 4 lety +1

      Hear hear, Rule Britannia!

    • @iexist2217
      @iexist2217 Před 4 lety

      *BUT WINGED HUSARS ARE STILL THE BEST*

    • @Hindsons
      @Hindsons Před 4 lety +1

      Gigidy

  • @akosuanyarko6875
    @akosuanyarko6875 Před 2 lety +5

    Hey my country is the middle too 🙋🏽‍♀️😂🇬🇭🇬🇭🇬🇭🇬🇭. Geography was my fav course by the day and just stubble on your page with the McDonald’s video. Great job!!👍🏽

  • @Shotbywill98
    @Shotbywill98 Před rokem

    Happy Birthday!!! 😄

  • @MacElMasMancoDeTodos
    @MacElMasMancoDeTodos Před rokem +14

    As historical enemy, Spain and France also touches the 0° line so we're considered the center too 🧐

    • @olg06
      @olg06 Před rokem

      Is probably why they let the issue go and at the committee they were like, "Well at least the line touches us"🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

    • @handsworth101
      @handsworth101 Před 7 měsíci

      Nice try haha

    • @dennis771
      @dennis771 Před 5 měsíci

      @@olg06 No true. Around that time France and Spain weren’t even relevant

    • @Lil_Elegant
      @Lil_Elegant Před 4 měsíci

      The centre of the world is Ghana not britain

    • @dennis771
      @dennis771 Před 4 měsíci

      @@Lil_Elegant possibly

  • @Cobb_Dunzo
    @Cobb_Dunzo Před 3 lety +63

    10:30 "I'm going to go to the royal observatory next year"
    *2020 intensifies*

  • @nipunkothare
    @nipunkothare Před 4 lety +198

    imagine how that meet went
    Domnican Republic: no
    Everyone Else: damn.. shit just got serious

    • @arthurlecomte8950
      @arthurlecomte8950 Před 4 lety +1

      let's give money to Haiti, so we can divide and rule that Hispaniola thing

    • @dantheman4908
      @dantheman4908 Před 4 lety

      In fact it was probably more like
      Dominican Republic: no
      Everyone else: damn...shut the fuck up Dominican Republic! No one cares what you think😡

  • @karinegraham4763
    @karinegraham4763 Před 2 lety

    This is fantastic!!

  • @vikkirobinson4131
    @vikkirobinson4131 Před rokem

    I love the story of the discovery of how to find your west/ east position at sea. The magnificently named Sir Cloudesly Shovell 's death in a shipwreck in 1707 was one of the spurs to finding a way.

  • @mazdaram226
    @mazdaram226 Před 3 lety +35

    I flew from Australia to Hawaii and felt like I was a time traveller... mental

    • @nomadinnepal5175
      @nomadinnepal5175 Před 3 lety +2

      I flew from England 2019 and landed in Nepal 🇳🇵
      And the year was 2076 in Nepal 🇳🇵, that’s time travel my good friends 🙏

  • @locksleynet
    @locksleynet Před 4 lety +663

    In China literally all the maps are centred around China.

    • @Haticesahin70
      @Haticesahin70 Před 4 lety +94

      locksleynet well that is common with local maps however, this video touches upon the fact that England is the 0 point.

    • @fortunenese1668
      @fortunenese1668 Před 4 lety +1

      @@Haticesahin70 in a few countries, english is the language franco

    • @HenningGu
      @HenningGu Před 4 lety +48

      @@fortunenese1668 lingua franca

    • @amenodorime5439
      @amenodorime5439 Před 4 lety +21

      中国 - Land in the center

    • @iwrotethis4712
      @iwrotethis4712 Před 4 lety

      @@Haticesahin70 around Beijing

  • @VeryMasterNinja
    @VeryMasterNinja Před 2 lety

    wait your birthday is May 28th? mine too! I haven't been watching your videos for very long but this minor fact definitely makes me want to watch more :)

  • @KiloOneThree
    @KiloOneThree Před rokem +1

    You need to dive deeper as this was over simplified. A bit more history on the Royal Observatory, the Airy Transit Circle, the quest for Longitude and John Harrison’s Sea Clock. And definitely visit the Royal Observatory and the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.

  • @JonTonyJim
    @JonTonyJim Před 3 lety +54

    The prime meridian goes through my garden

    • @runningfromabear8354
      @runningfromabear8354 Před 3 lety +2

      My Mum's had 3 kids and labour combined between the three of us totals less than one hour. Dad tried to get her to the hospital with me but he ended up pulling into the car park by General Wolfe and I was born in the car. It's always been fun having so many people talk about where I was born.

    • @mikeede49
      @mikeede49 Před 3 lety +5

      How do you mow your lawn, do you push the meridian onto your patio and pull it back in to place when you've finished?

    • @JonTonyJim
      @JonTonyJim Před 3 lety +1

      @@mikeede49 I get my brother to pull it over me while I go underneath

    • @margaretingleby679
      @margaretingleby679 Před 3 lety +1

      So do get an extra 24 hours of bloom on your Daiseys .

  • @sheheryarkazi8505
    @sheheryarkazi8505 Před 3 lety +6

    I swear - I literally learned something new from your channel today. Now it makes sense me for regarding the GMT thing.

  • @samuelwestergren7198
    @samuelwestergren7198 Před rokem +1

    Thanks for an interesting video! Looking at the time zone map and wondering why there is a small part of Australia with +8 3/4?

  • @garybarnes4169
    @garybarnes4169 Před rokem +2

    Specifically, the Prime Meridian was defined by a line going through the precise middle of the eyepiece of a particular telescope at the Royal Observatory.