Page "Metric system" Paragraph 53

The idea of a metric system was proposed by John Wilkins, first secretary of the Royal Society of London in 1668.

Two years later, in 1670, Gabriel Mouton, a French abbot and scientist, proposed a decimal system of measurement based on the circumference of the Earth.

His suggestion was that a unit, the milliare, be defined as a minute of arc along a meridian.

He then suggested a system of sub-units, dividing successively by factors of ten into the centuria, decuria, virga, virgula, decima, centesima, and millesima.

His ideas attracted interest at the time, and were supported by both Jean Picard and Christiaan Huygens in 1673, and also studied at the Royal Society in London.

In the same year, Gottfried Leibniz independently made proposals similar to those of Mouton.