Mind-Benders of Mesopotamian History
Why an hour has 60 minutes traces back to ancient Mesopotamia
The 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, and 360 degrees in a circle all descend from the base-60 counting system used by Sumerian and Babylonian scribes. Their preference for the number 60 still ticks inside every clock and compass.
How we know
The sexagesimal (base-60) system originated with the Sumerians in the 3rd millennium BCE and was inherited by the Babylonians; 60 is a highly composite number (divisors 1,2,3,4,5,6,10,12,15,20,30,60), and 360 = 12 x 30. Modern 60-second minutes, 60-minute hours, and the 360-degree circle derive from it.
One of many fact-checked wonders across eight traditions at The Spring of Wisdom.