Author Topic: History Lesson - Decimal Day (1971) (Read 2041 times)

MikeLigalig.com · « **on:** February 16, 2012, 02:00:03 PM »

Decimal Day (1971)

<img align="left" style="clear:left" src="http://img.tfd.com/IOD/Decimalisationdday.jpg" width="100" height="74" />Financial calculations using the old currency of the UK were complicated, as one pound was made up of 240 pence or 20 shillings, a shilling was equal to 12 pence, and the half-crown was worth two shillings and sixpence. After considering decimalization for over a century, Parliament passed the Decimal Currency Act in 1969. The pound was to be divided into 100 "new pence," and a massive publicity campaign was launched in the weeks leading up to Decimal Day. How did people react to the change?<br clear="all"/>
Source: Decimal Day (1971)

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islander · « **Reply #1 on:** February 16, 2012, 03:59:31 PM »

in relation to the decimal day...

The metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement that was originally based on the mÃ¨tre des archives and the kilogramme des archives introduced by France in 1799. Over the years the definitions of the metre and kilogram have been refined and the metric system extended to incorporate many more units. Although a number of variants of the metric system emerged in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the term is now often used as a synonym for the "International System of Units" - the official system of measurement in almost every country in the world.

wikipedia/

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islander · « **Reply #2 on:** February 16, 2012, 04:03:30 PM »

"The metric system is for all people for all time." (Condorcet 1791) Four objects used in making measurements that have metric calibrations are shown. Three of the objects, a tape measure calibrated in centimetres, a thermometer calibrated in degrees Celsius and a kilogram weight are for domestic use while the fourth, an electrical multimeter which measures volts, amps and ohms, is for normal use by tradesmen.

wikipedia/

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islander · « **Reply #3 on:** February 16, 2012, 04:06:10 PM »

The United States is the only industrialized country that does not use the metric system as its official system of measurement, although the use of the metric system has been officially sanctioned for use there since 1866. Although the United Kingdom committed to officially adopting the metric system for many measurement applications, it is still not in universal use there and the customary imperial system is still in common and widespread use. Although the originators intended to devise a system that was equally accessible to all, it proved necessary to use prototype units under the custody of government or other approved authorities as standards. Until 1875, control of the prototype units of measure was maintained by the French Government when it passed to an inter-governmental organisation â€“ the ConfÃ©rence gÃ©nÃ©rale des poids et mesures (CGPM). It is now hoped that the last of these prototypes can be retired by 2014.

wikipedia/
(underscoring mine)

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islander · « **Reply #4 on:** February 16, 2012, 04:13:13 PM »

no wonder the u.s. still has "miles" instead of "kilometers". where i once was, where "miles" was used and not "kilometers", i had to mark down the speed limits in miles in different areas by converting them to kilometers because our vehicle's speedometer was in kilometers.

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islander · « **Reply #5 on:** February 16, 2012, 04:15:16 PM »

From its beginning, the main feature of the metric system was the standard set of inter-related base units and a standard set of prefixes in powers of ten. These base units are used to derive larger and smaller units and replaced a huge number of unstandardised units of measure that existed previously. While the system was first developed for commercial use, its coherent set of units made it particularly suitable for scientific and engineering purposes.

The uncoordinated use of the metric system by different scientific and engineering disciplines, particularly in the late 19th century, resulted in different choices of fundamental units, even though all were based on the same definitions of the metre and the kilogram. During the 20th century, efforts were made to rationalise these units and in 1960 the CGPM published the International System of Units ("SystÃ¨me international d'unitÃ©s" in French, hence "SI") which, since then, has been the internationally recognised standard metric system.

wikipedia/

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islander · « **Reply #6 on:** February 16, 2012, 04:24:46 PM »

Short history on Philippine metrication:

Pre-1858 Measurement systems in Philippines reflects diversity of regional inhabitants.
1858 Spain adopts metric system and introduces the metric system to the Philippines.
1865 Philippine monetary system shifts to decimal.
1905 Philippines lightly shifts to English system introduced by USA.
8/29/1916 Philippines adopts metric system after Philippine Autonomy Act signed.
1916-1975 Various measurement systems employed with metric system being prominent.
1/1/1975 Date set for sole metric system use via Presidential Decree No. 187.
7/16/1975 Presidential Decree No. 748 amends PD No. 187 to extend metrication efforts.
1/1/1983 Philippines officially adopts the metric system via Batas Pambansa Bilang 8.
4/13/1992 Philippine use of metric system reinforced via Republic Act 7394.

http://wiki.answers.com

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islander · « **Reply #7 on:** February 16, 2012, 04:39:12 PM »

in the late '70s and early '80s, when the metric system became official in our country, one can still buy cloths with a choice of measurement of either yards or meters, the yards being cheaper because they're shorter. and we continued to be more comfortable with our heights and weights measured in inches and pounds. (mao nay mestizo, bisan sa measurements saksak-sinagol.)

it was also the time when the name of "metro manila" was conceived, the time when former first lady imelda marcos became governor of the cities and municipalities contiguous to the capital city that is manila, and thus were lumped as one metropolitan center.

the joke that went around then was we're truly having the metric system, like metro manila (the metro cebu monicker came later; and we can see that until now there's no such thing as a metro cebu governor or chairman or whatever), and metro carcar, metro ayungon, metro dimiao, metro valencia, etc.

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islander · « **Reply #8 on:** February 16, 2012, 04:44:10 PM »

all in all, i must admit that the metric system is easier and more universal. but try saying 'kilometrage' instead of 'mileage', or 'hectarage' instead of 'acreage'. these, too, need getting used to. sometimes, some things just won't go away...

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hubag bohol · « **Reply #9 on:** February 16, 2012, 08:37:04 PM »

all in all, i must admit that the metric system is easier and more universal. but try saying 'kilometrage' instead of 'mileage', or 'hectarage' instead of 'acreage'. these, too, need getting used to. sometimes, some things just won't go away...

Language is all. Be still. The days of your guruage are numbered...

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Lorenzo · « **Reply #10 on:** February 17, 2012, 10:16:24 AM »

no wonder the u.s. still has "miles" instead of "kilometers". where i once was, where "miles" was used and not "kilometers", i had to mark down the speed limits in miles in different areas by converting them to kilometers because our vehicle's speedometer was in kilometers.

lol, that is , indeed, true. When I studied abroad in Ukraine some 6 years ago, as I walked from my apartment to National University of Kiev Mohyla , the institution where I was studying in, I could not help observe that everyone was using the kilometer as the unit for distance and speed. For measuring height it was the "meter" instead of feet or inches , for weight it was the "kilo" instead of pounds. They also drive on the opposite side of the road as we do in the United States. So one day, a group of friends and I decided to drive from Kiev, Ukraine to Odessa, Ukraine, which is located in the border with Russia and Ukraine. I could not help but watch the "kilometer" signs posted on the highway. My one good friend, Yaroslav, decided it would be "fun" to drive us into the Russian side. So I remember getting angry at him and screaming, "Nyet! Nyet! I don't have my US Passport with me!" (Nyet = No). I made him stop the car and thank goodness we didn't go inside the Russian border. It's interesting how everyone else in the world uses the SI Units of Measurement except the United States. I don't know what I was scared of more: 1) the different units of measurement or 2) being interrogated by Russian border guards with AK47s.

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Lorenzo · « **Reply #11 on:** February 17, 2012, 10:25:51 AM »

I remember taking a class on Russian and Western European Dynamics Class, which was taught by Professor Yuchenko, and from time to time he would pick on the American foreign exchange students. I remember he picked on me one time and said, "Do you know how tall Napoleon Bonaparte was, Mr. Lorenzo Lucino ?"

"He was 5 foot and 7 inches."

"He was not," was his reply.

"You are in The Ukraine, Mr. Lorenzo Lucino, please use the proper units!"

Talk about being embarrassed.

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MikeLigalig.com

Author Topic: History Lesson - Decimal Day (1971) (Read 2041 times)

MikeLigalig.com

History Lesson - Decimal Day (1971)

islander

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islander

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hubag bohol

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Lorenzo

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Lorenzo

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