This Day in History: 22 June 2020
22 June 1675
345 years ago, today, the Royal Greenwich Observatory was founded by King Charles II. However, the establishment was proposed a year prior by Sir Jonas Moore, the Surveyor-General of Ordnance, who persuaded the King to create the observatory, installing John Flamsteed as its director, and later as the first Astronomer Royal. Moore's office was given the responsibility of building the Observatory, with Moore himself providing the key instruments and equipment needed, at his own personal cost. The original part of the Observatory, Flamsteed House, was designed by Christopher Wren, and was the first purpose-built scientific research facility in Great Britain.
This observatory is located upon a hill in Greenwich Park, overlooking the River Thames. It significantly contributed to the history of astronomy and navigation. Additionally, it gave its name to Greenwich Mean Time, as the prime meridian passes through it. In the first half of the 20th century, the scientific work of the observatory was relocated elsewhere gradually. During the Blitz, the Courtyard gates of the Observatory were destroyed by a direct bomb attack. The clock's dial was also damaged, but it was repaired after the Second World War had ended. Today, the Greenwich site is now kept almost exclusively as a museum. However, in 2018, the Annie Maunder Astrographic Telescope, the AMAT, became operational for astronomical research.
Want to find out more about the history of the Royal Greenwich Observatory? Click here for more information.
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