How did the idea of 24 hours come about?

The idea of dividing the day into 24 hours can be traced back to ancient civilizations, particularly the Egyptians, who used a base-12 counting system. They divided daytime and nighttime into 12 parts each, resulting in a 24-hour day. This system was later adopted by the Greeks and Romans, and it became widely accepted due to the influence of these cultures. The use of sundials and water clocks further solidified the 24-hour division as a practical way to measure time.