When did the 24 hour clock get the (&**$@@ colon?

[ebetancourt]

OK when I learned to use the 24 hour clock, admittedly over 50 years ago, it was written without a colon. It started at 0000 and ended at 2359. If you added seconds, you used the colon. So 2359:59. The leading zero was present from 0000 to 0959 hours. It was spoken with the leading zero, although frequently as an "O". "Oh four thirty" show time, for example. The hours were spoken as hundreds - twelve hundred, thirteen hundred and so on. Twenty-four hundred exists only in the movies. Correctly zero hour.

Now all the software programs starting with Excel that have a 24 hour format add the colon and I frequently see it written that way in written letters, articles, etc.

So, when did that happen?

 

[Lachlan]

It was added several years:months:weeks ago. Hope this helps.

 

[DesertNomad]

On Swiss Rail departure screens they use a period (21.55).

 

[RyanB]

 

[EdFred]

No so sure when but a why is because

20190803230034 is a ***** to parse.

Imagine a sentence with no spaces and a paragraph with no periods.

 

[-KLB-]

Actually, I think it is as simple as the difference between military and civilian conventions for 24 hour time format.

 

[zaitcev]

Russians used to write 09:25'55", the same way we use feet and inches sometimes.

 

[Dbarbee]

I think it’s mainly so Excel (and other spreadsheet programs) can recognize the numbers as time instead of numbers in order to perform calculations correctly. (I.e. 1 in the time format equals 24 hours) Incidentally, you can force Excel to show the leading zero or leave out the colon by going to format cell and change the custom format from h:mm to hh:mm or hhmm, but you’ll still have to type it in with the colon when you enter the time.

 

[Kenny Phillips]

No so sure when but a why is because

20190803230034 is a ***** to parse.

Imagine a sentence with no spaces and a paragraph with no periods.

I see them all the time on FB, and often here!

 

[MauleSkinner]

It’s because everybody has given total authority for establishing conventions, corporate policy, and processes for all disciplines to the junior programmer.

 

[Half Fast]

When? As nearly as I can tell it was 19870331090532.

 

[Cluemeister]

19870331090532

Hate to be that guy, but don't you mean 19:87,0:3:1-09-05;3"2?

 

[PaulS]

 

[Shepherd]

No so sure when but a why is because

20190803230034 is a ***** to parse.

Imagine a sentence with no spaces and a paragraph with no periods.

PunctuationandspacesdidntgetformalizeduntiltheSixthcenturybymonkswhowerecopyingreligioustexts

Punctuation and spaces didn't get formalized until the Sixth century, by monks who were copying religious texts.
Aren't you glad they did that?

 

[Half Fast]

PunctuationandspacesdidntgetformalizeduntiltheSixthcenturybymonkswhowerecopyingreligioustexts

Punctuation and spaces didn't get formalized until the Sixth century, by monks who were copying religious texts.
Aren't you glad they did that?

Be careful about mentioning religious texts. That's been known to get threads locked.

 

[flhrci]

Be careful about mentioning religious texts. That's been known to get threads locked.

Yea, my Space thread was getting that way yesterday I guess. Sorta religious plus extreme differences in opinion. I didn't see it was locked till this morning.

 

[Zeldman]

I used enjoy giving the hard core lifers a hard time with....''It's 1330 o'clock, sir....''

 

[chartbundle]

Russians used to write 09:25'55", the same way we use feet and inches sometimes.

Or, you know, degrees, minutes and seconds...

 

[SkyDog58]

Russians used to write 09:25'55", the same way we use feet and inches sometimes.

' for minutes and " for seconds are used in measuring both time and degrees across the world not just Russia.