The earth has always been a topic of curiosity to humankind and science. Astronomers, geographers, scientists, and chemists have solved the most mysterious theories and phenomena throughout the centuries. Once it was proven the earth was indeed round, a geodesic mission to find the center of the earth began in 1735.
Two missions were launched to make observations and gather calculations. One expedition set out to the north pole, while another team traveled to South America. The French believed the earth was flat at the equator, while scientist Isaac Newton predicted it was flat at the poles. French explorer Charles Marie de la Condamine, Louis Godin and Pierre Bouguer were the first to calculate the diameter of the earth at the equator. The team completed the calculations in 1739.