The Calendar — A History of Humanity's Most Chaotic Project

DetailsMcKyler teaches Daniel why our calendar and clock look the way they do: 24 hours, 60 minutes, 7-day weeks, leap years, and even the leap second all turn out to be political compromises, religious power moves, and mathematical hacks rather than rational design. You’ll hear stories about Julius Caesar’s 445-day “Year of Confusion,” Pope Gregory deleting 10 days from history, Sweden’s accidental February 30th, the French attempt at a 10-hour day, and the Soviet Union’s five-day color-coded workweek — plus how Daylight Saving Time once accidentally foiled a terrorist plot. If you’ve ever wondered “who decided this was the way time should work?” or you’re searching for a funny, deeply researched history podcast episode about calendars, timekeeping, and the science behind our days, months, and years, this one’s for you.LinksGeneral history of calendars (big-picture overview)Gregorian vs. Julian calendar and the 1582 reformWhy we have 24 hours, 60 minutes, and 60 secondsNarrative history of the calendar and month quirksFrench Revolutionary calendar and decimal timePatronsThank you all to all our patrons for supporting usLiz D.Seth T.Irvin H.DaDogMiles T.Kirk K.Looking for more? Join our Patreon for bonus content: Support this PodcastDiscordJoin our Discord channel: https://discord.gg/FYg6T5q7xK---Copyright 2026 Doing Learning