Jeremiah Dixon
Jeremiah Dixon (born July 27, 1733 in Cockfield , Bishop Auckland , County Durham , † January 22, 1779 ibid) was an English geodesist . With the astronomer Charles Mason, he carried out the survey of the so-called Mason-Dixon Line between the northern and southern states of the USA in 1763 and 1769 . He was a member of the American Philosophical Society .
According to an anecdote , Dixon's name was taken from the name Dixieland for the southern United States .
The American author Thomas Pynchon set a literary monument for Mason and Dixon in his 1997 novel Mason & Dixon .
British musician Mark Knopfler mentions both Dixon and Mason in his song Sailing to Philadelphia from the album of the same name from 2000.
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ A b A Plan of the West Line or Parallel of Latitude . In: World Digital Library . 1768. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
- ^ Member History: Jeremiah Dixon. American Philosophical Society, accessed July 18, 2018 .
Web links
- Literature by and about Jeremiah Dixon in the catalog of the German National Library
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Dixon, Jeremiah |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English geometer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 27, 1733 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | County Durham |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 22, 1779 |
| Place of death | County Durham |