Why they count time according to GMT?

Question

Why they count time according to Greenwich local time?
Greenwich is a village in England and it is near to some orbit which passed through this village but I just want to know how and why they count time according to Greenwich local time only?

Answer 1

While latitude is calculated from zero degrees at the equator, being the place where the north star is at zero degrees i.e. on the horizon, the prime meridian i.e. the start of the longitude calculation is arbitrary. In the past, it has been for different nations, Rome, Paris, The Canary Islands and ... Greenwich, near London, where the observatory is. The latter became the standard reference among seafarers although the French insisted on keeping Paris until the beginning of the 20th century.
It is also under the strong French influence that the time of the sun's meridian passage at Greenwich is no longer called GMT but UTC (Universal Time Convention). This is, incidentally what aviators also call Zulu time. The latter is to give one letter of the alphabet to each of the 24 time zones.

Answer 2

Greenwich is not a village (although its namesake is called a village in NYC so maybe that's your confusion). Greenwich UK today it is a London borough and in the past was the home of the British navy. Once Britannia ruled the waves and the British navy knew more than the rest, so started a time system. Much to the disgust of the French it stuck.

Answer 3

It's useful to have a global standard, and since GMT is the time zone centered on the Prime Meridian (longitude = 0), that is what is used. It was established when Great Britain was the undisputed global power, so that's the historical reason.

Answer 4

I guess it is because it is strategically located on Longitude 0 degrees. It is easy to calculate time based on longitutdes either east or west of the 0 degree line knowing that every 15 degrees gives a 1hr difference in time. Countries on the East add hours while those on the West subtract hours.

Answer 5

Didnt you know that we the British invented time,unlike some scientist who think the sun is the center of our solar system,most people know that GREAT BRITAIN is the center of the universe,if you dont beleive me ask the prime minister Gordon Brown or his mate Tony Blair who thought he was master of the universe.(this was always a bone of contention between him self and his best friend George Bush, who was under some misguided illussion that it he was master of the universe,) some people hey!!!