Letters
Millennium debate continues
The article on Fiji’s Millennium Project (October 1999 PIM, page 21) contains errors and misinterpretations about the purposes and outcomes of the Meridian Conference, which was held in Washington in October 1884. The most important error is that, although the Meridian Conference did define the location of the 180 meridian, it did NOT establish- the 180 meridian as “the line where every day starts and ends.”
The line that determines where the new day starts and ends is the International Date Line. While the 180 meridian and the International Date Line do have some similarities (both being artificial, man-made constructs, overlapping in some places), they are two entirely different things, with entirely different functions.
The Meridian Conference did define the location of the 0 meridian (at Greenwich) and by doing so also defined the location of all other meridians, including the 180 meridian. And this conference also established a Universal Day/Time (again, starting at Greenwich) from which a progressive set of time zones would be established. This is the origin of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
But the Meridian Conference did not define the 180-degree line where every new day starts and ends. Accordingly, Fiji cannot make base any claim to be first to greet the new Millennium based on the Meridian Conference and the 180 meridian. As I said previously, determining where each new day starts and ends is the function of the International Date Line.
There are places where the 180 meridian and the International Date Line march side by-side. There are also places where their : paths go separate ways. For historical reasons, the Kingdom of Tonga has always been west of the International Date Line, and so shares the same day as Fiji. But, by virtue of its position east of the 180meridian, Tonga reaches that day before Fiji.
Good try, Fiji. But when it comes to the new Millennium, Tonga will still get there first.
Happy New Year!
Denis Wolff
PO Box 1239 Nuku ’alofa Kingdom of Tonga