Telling Time Throughout the Ages

By rlhdgsn
  • 3500 BCE

    Egyptians tell time

    Ancient Egyptians used the shadows cast by the sun on obelisks to tell the time.
  • 1500 BCE

    First believed water clock

    No one is sure when the first water clock was invented, however, what is believed to be one of the first water clocks was excavated from the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep I.
  • 400

    Greek water clocks

    Greeks have proven use of water clocks, using water flowing from a vessel to measure time.
  • 980

    Burning Candles

    Burning candles are used to tell the time. This phenomenon was started by Alfred the Great.
  • 1370

    Bells

    In France, it was decreed that all church bells must ring in unison with the bells in the Royal Palace, ending the ringing of church bells at prayer times.

  • Mechanical clock

    The first mechanical clock, using a mainspring, balance wheel, and pendulum was invented by Christian Huygens..

  • Telegraph

    The telegraph was invented, allowing the transmission of time signals.

  • Time Ball

    The Time Ball is dropped at noon each day at the U.S Naval Observatory, allowing ships in the harbor to set their on-board clocks.

  • Greenwich Meridian

    London, England is accepted as the Prime Meridian (zero degrees longitude). This becomes the basis for time throughout the globe.

  • Washington signal

    A radio signal is transmitted from Washington D.C to help ships find longitude.

  • Wristwatches

    The first self-winding (automatic) wristwatch is invented by a British watch repairer, John Harwood.

  • Atomic Clock

    The National Bureau of Standards builds the first atomic clock, using ammonia.

  • Definition of the second

    One second is defined as 9,192,631,770 vibrations of the cesium atom.

  • Digital wristwatch

    The first digital Pulsar watch was invented by Hamilton Watch Co. founded by George H. Theiss.