tech
March 10, 2026
Why does a minute have exactly 60 seconds? Why not more or less
They say that once a minute was like a year. And sometimes it flies by in the blink of an eye. It all depends on the situation a person is in when they think like that. But have you ever thought about why a minute has exactly 60 seconds? Why not more or less? The answer will probably fascinate you!
TL;DR
- The number 60 held significant importance in ancient Mesopotamia, particularly in Babylon, around 2000 BCE.
- The Babylonians considered 60 a powerful number due to its divisibility by numerous integers (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, etc.).
- A method for measuring time involved using one hand to count segments on the fingers of the other hand.
- By counting three segments on each of the four fingers using the thumb (totaling 12) and repeating this five times, they arrived at 60, marking the passage of a minute.
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