why are 60 minutes in a hour

 

                   60 minutes and a minute into 60 seconds

The division of an hour into 60 minutes and a minute into 60 seconds can be traced back to the ancient civilizations that first divided the day into smaller parts. They used different numeral systems, specifically duodecimal (base 12) and sexagesimal (base 60)¹².

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The Sumerians, who used these systems, may have chosen 60 as a base because it has many divisors, making calculations easier. They counted using the three segments on each of their fingers, excluding the thumb, to count to 12 on one hand and then used the five fingers on the other hand to multiply by 12 to reach 60¹.

The Babylonians, who inherited this system, defined a circle as having 360 degrees, possibly because a year was understood to have close to 360 days, or because the radius of a circle maps onto a circumscribed hexagon of six equilateral triangles, making 60 a convenient number for dividing a circle¹.

Later, the Egyptians used sundials divided into 12 parts to measure the day, reflecting their use of the duodecimal system. This system was based on the 12 lunar cycles in a year or the 12 joints on each hand (excluding the thumb), which made it easy to count to 12².

The Greek astronomers adopted the Babylonian’s sexagesimal system for astronomical calculations, and for convenience, they further divided an hour into 60 minutes and each minute into 60 seconds³.

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So, the 60-minute hour and the 60-second minute are the result of a historical blend of counting systems and astronomical observations from ancient civilizations.