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3 unusual facts about William Robert Broughton


Sea of Japan naming dispute

The invention of the marine chronometer in the late 18th century enabled Western explorers, such as Jean Francois de Galaup from France, William Robert Broughton from Britain, and Adam Johann von Krusenstern (Ivan Fyodorovich Kruzenshtern) from Russia, to measure time and longitudes on the sea precisely and map the detailed shape of the Sea of Japan.

William Broughton

William Robert Broughton (died 1821), British naval officer who explored parts of the Pacific Ocean

William Robert Broughton

The pub located within the British Embassy in Seoul is named "Broughton's Club" to commemorate Broughton's exploration of Northeast Asia, including the Korean Peninsula.


Hayden Island, Portland, Oregon

In 1792, the island was discovered by Lieutenant William Robert Broughton, commander of the Royal Navy survey brig HMS Chatham, who named it Menzies, after the botanist of his ship Archibald Menzies and naming Vancouver after his commander George Vancouver.


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