Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/History of timekeeping devices

History of timekeeping devices

 * This is the archived discussion of the TFAR nomination for the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page.

The result was: scheduled for Today's featured article/January 1, 2023 by Jimfbleak - talk to me? 11:26, 8 December 2022 (UTC)



The history of timekeeping devices dates back to ancient civilizations observing astronomical bodies. Sundials and water clocks originated in ancient Egypt while incense clocks were used in China. Mechanical clocks were developed in medieval Europe after the invention of the bell-striking alarm; Henry de Vick built a mechanical clock in c. 1360 that was the basis for improvements in timekeeping for the next 300 years. The mainspring, invented in the 15th century, allowed small clocks to be built. Leonardo da Vinci produced the earliest drawings of a pendulum while the pendulum clock, designed by Christiaan Huygens in 1656, was more accurate than other mechanical timekeepers. The electric clock, invented in 1840, controlled the most accurate pendulum clocks until the 1940s, when quartz timers became the basis for precise measurement of time and frequency. Atomic clocks are the most accurate timekeeping devices in practical use today and are used to calibrate timekeeping instruments.
 * Most recent similar article(s): Time in Finland was TFA July 7, 2022
 * Main editors: FAC nominated by, , , , , , , , and . did lots of work at FAR to save this article.
 * Promoted: July 9, 2008. FAR August 28, 2021
 * Reasons for nomination: Jan. 1 is the first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, a method of timekeeping used in most of the world. This would be a TFA rerun, of which it last ran in 2008. I took the lede and summarised/cut prose to be under 1025 words, though improvements on the blurb is welcome.
 * Support as nominator. Z1720 (talk) 02:04, 6 November 2022 (UTC)
 * Thanks to both you and Amitchell for working on and upkeeping the article! :) · Andonic  contact  02:54, 6 November 2022 (UTC)
 * Support: It is an interesting topic that is very appropriate for the proposed date. I am glad to see it was kept as a FA in the FAR. I am normally opposed to rerunning a TFA but it has been a significant amount of time since it last ran on the front page. Aoba47 (talk) 04:11, 8 November 2022 (UTC)
 * Support. Nice one. Gog the Mild (talk) 14:02, 8 November 2022 (UTC)
 * Support - seems appropriate. BennyOnTheLoose (talk) 14:39, 5 December 2022 (UTC)