[USMA:34866] Re: World Standards Day, October 14

[Daniel]

The ISO, even though founded in London is entirely metric based is a major promoter of SI.  It is most likely the reason that metric was able to spread so far and wide.  ISO standards today are mostly standards absorbed from DIN which is also very pro-metric.  I find it interesting that of all the countries honoring the the birthday of the ISO on 14 Oct  1946, only the US has chosen to celebrate the day on 6 Oct instead of 14 Oct.  Could this have something to do with US standards being rejected by the ISO for primarily not being metric based? Dan     What is World Standards Day? World Standards Day, celebrated on October 6, 2005, in the United States, began as a celebration of the birth of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which held its first meeting in London on October 14, 1946. From an initial roster of 25 countries, ISO (based in Geneva, Switzerland) now has 123 member nations and has evolved into the global clearinghouse for all standards activities. ISO's U.S. representative, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), is one of the founding organizations of World Standards Day. Today, World Standards Day is sponsored annually by ISO; the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), which develops international standards for the electrical and electronics industries; and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), an international organization responsible for the coordination, development, regulation, and standardization of telecommunications standards. The goal of World Standards Day is to raise awareness of the importance of global standardization to the world economy and to promote its role in helping meet the needs of business, industry, government, and consumers worldwide. The international event pays tribute to the thousands of volunteers around the world who participate in standardization activities. Since its initial celebration in 1970, member countries commemorate World Standards Day by organizing special gatherings and events, ranging from conferences, exhibitions, and seminars to film shows, TV and radio interviews, and full "standards weeks" around mid October. ----- Original Message ----- From: Hillger, Don To: U.S. Metric Association Sent: Friday, 2005-10-14 16:09 Subject: [USMA:34860] World Standards Day, October 14 Seems like Metric day, 10/10, and World Standards Day, 10/14, are pretty close, probably by design.  I almost forgot about the latter.   See http://www.ansi.org/meetings_events/wsw05/wsd05.aspx?menuid=8 (Apparently ANSI chose to celebrate WSD early this year, on 10/06.)   Don   No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.344 / Virus Database: 267.12.0/132 - Release Date: 2005-10-13