Definition:Metric System/Historical Note

Historical Note on Metric System
In $1790$, the French government invited a number of scientists to recommend a system of measurement, and also to propose a new unit of length.

Eventually, the metre was decided upon, and should be $10^{-7}$ the distance from the North Pole to the equator, based on measurements between Barcelona and Dunkerque.

Subsequently this distance was shown to be inaccurate.

The metre has since been redefined multiple times.