How did military time start

military time has been in use for centuries, but its exact origin is unknown. It was likely created to help the military and other organized forces keep track of time, especially during war and combat. The precise origin is obscure, but it is thought that the concept of military time first began during World War I in Europe. At this time, soldiers were using the 24-hour clock format to keep track of their operational activities and were found using it both on the ground and in the air.

The concept of using a 24-hour clock may have been adopted by other forces including merchant marines, pilots, shipping companies and navies around the world soon after that. In World War II, most countries adopted this system as standard to keep their services operating within an organized fashion. After 1945, military forces were found using the 24-hour clock system throughout most locations worldwide. By 1952 even civilian clocks began indicating times according to a 24-hour clock format.

Military time (or 'Zulu Time') is based upon Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), with intervals of one hour from 00:00 – 23:59. Each hour starts at 00 minutes instead of 01 minutes like on a 12-hour clock so that 15:00 becomes 1500 instead of 03:00 p.m., for example. Military time is also marked on watches with an added "M" or "Z" after each time interval so you know it's for Zulu or Military time conversion purposes which may be abbreviated as Z or Zulu rather than "M" for military or "24H" for 24-hr format depending on the watch specification you are reading from.

Today Military time remains widely used amongst military personnel, law enforcement officers and airline pilots as well as being converted by many civilians who prefer using this more efficient form of telling times over the traditional 12-hour format utilized by most people around the world on a regular basis today