The 5,000-Year-Old Secret: Why an Hour Has 60 Minutes

• The 60-minute hour is a result of ancient civilizations' decisions over thousands of years, not a sudden choice.
• Mesopotamians, about 5000 years ago, developed the 'method of 60' using a special counting system based on 12 and 60.
• They counted using finger joints: 12 joints on four fingers of one hand, multiplied by 5 fingers of the other, totaling 60.
• The number 60 is a Highly Composite Number, easily divisible by many small numbers (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30), making calculations easier for trade and science.
• Ancient Egyptians introduced the 24-hour day using 'sun clocks', dividing day and night into 12 hours each, while the 60-second minute was established with precise mechanical clocks in the 17th century.