International holidays - World Metrology Day

Every year on May 20, an international holiday is celebrated - World Metrology Day. Every year it takes place under its own original motto, reflecting the thematic focus of the professional celebration. The creation of innovative products in the field of engineering and technology is impossible to imagine without accurate measurements. Even D. Mendeleev believed that exact science cannot exist without “measure”. The relationship between theory and practice of all fields of knowledge is ensured by a single “science of measurement” - metrology. It covers those areas of activity that require accurate measurements in the practical implementation of theoretical calculations. Like many other practical areas of human activity, metrology originated in ancient times. Since ancient times, measurements have been used in the relationship between man and nature, surrounding objects and phenomena. As society developed, the need for measurements arose in the relationships of its members (in trade, construction, crafts). Even in the times of Ancient Greece and Rome, people began to systematize their ideas about the forms, properties, sizes of objects and phenomena, their comparison and comparison. Similar attempts were made by other nations. Units of measurement received their names based on the possibility of using them without the use of special devices. In Rus' these were cubit, tithe, glass, barrel, pood, dozen, etc. The fragmentation and remoteness of territories led to the emergence of different units that measured the same parameters according to different rules. These rules were of value only for a specific territory. Therefore, to maintain uniformity, they began to use exemplary (reference) measures that were kept in churches. In 1736, the Russian Commission of Weights and Measures was formed, which was supposed to develop standards and their relationships with each other. In 1841, the first Russian system of weights and measures was legalized by royal decree. And at the mint in St. Petersburg, the first state institution was organized to verify compliance with measures of length, weight and volume. This laid the foundation for a unified metrological service of the Russian state. On May 20, 1875, an international diplomatic conference took place. During the meeting, 17 participating countries (including Russia) signed the first international agreement on intergovernmental cooperation in the field of creating a single metrological space. Subsequently, more than 30 countries joined the Meter Convention. At the same time, the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences proposed the creation of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, which would ensure the use of uniform measuring instruments on an international scale and store their standards. To this day, this intergovernmental organization ensures the implementation of the decisions of that conference, taking into account new scientific achievements. At its 88th meeting in 1999, on the initiative of scientists from Russia and Japan, May 20 received the official status of a professional holiday for all metrologists in the world.