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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/wt-time-zones

Time zones were planned by splitting Earth into how many zones, one per hour?

Earth was split into 24 zones, one for each hour of the day.

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  1. 12
  2. 24 ✔
  3. 36

Why: Earth was divided into slices 15 degrees of longitude wide, giving 24 zones for the 24 hours of one rotation. Countries draw their own borders, so real zones are not straight lines.

Huh, didn't know that: No single body regulates time zones or daylight saving time around the world.

The dad joke
Thanks to time zones, I once landed before I took off, and I still missed lunch.
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References

Answer: 24. Earth was divided into slices 15 degrees of longitude wide, giving 24 zones for the 24 hours of one rotation. Countries draw their own borders, so real zones are not straight lines.

  1. Local Time FAQs (NIST) www.nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division/local-time-faqs
    That would allow for 24 zones to represent 24 hours in the day (one rotation of Earth).
    Checked 2026-10-12.

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