60/Historical Note

Historical Note on $60$ (Sixty)

There are $60$ seconds in a minute.

There are $60$ minutes of time in an hour, and $60$ minutes of angle in a degree.

These divisions date back to the time of the Babylonians, who used a $60$-based number system for their mathematics and astronomy.


Also see

  • Definition:Sexagesimal System


Sources

  • 1986: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers ... (previous) ... (next): $60$
  • 1997: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Numbers (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): $60$
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