Originally Posted by GeePeeS'r

The US was planning to become metric. In the late 1700's, when standards were being developed for economic reasons, there was a big push to convert to the European metric standard. Even Thomas Jefferson was involved. But the US Gov. was not convinced it was worth the trouble. After a lot of duscussion, the US finally decided to consider it - and was waiting for the official calibrated "meter bar" - a solid metal bar by which all meters would be measured for accuracy and consistency. It was being sent on a ship with Joseph Dombey. But as luck would have it - his ship was taken by pirates of the carribean (serously, no joke) when they were blown off course by a storm, and he was captured and died in a prison cell. The meter bar eventually made it to the US a few years later, but no one really knew what it was, or how to explain the simplicity of measure it could bring. So with Mr. Dombeys death - the hope for the US metric system also died.