# origin of 24 hour day

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-24-hour-day/145619>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 30, 2002, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-24-hour-day/145619 "2002-12-30T05:02:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mattex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@mattex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mattex)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-24-hour-day/145619/1 "2002-12-30T05:02:54Z")

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Why is it that, virtually regardless of culture, a day is divided into 24 equal segments, which each consist of 60 equal segments, which then consist of another 60 equal segments, which are then generally broken down by tenths, hundredths, etc.? Isn’t there something to be said for consistency? Are aliens with 24 fingers and 60 toes somehow to blame?

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**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-24-hour-day/145619/2 "2002-12-30T05:07:17Z")

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I think I remember reading somewhere that it traces back to the ancient Babylonians and their numerical system which relied heavily on twelves.

Also… the Terran day is naturally twenty-four hours long… it isn’t a human invention.

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**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-24-hour-day/145619/3 "2002-12-30T05:08:36Z")

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[The Master speaks.](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_125.html)