Military Time Converter

The 24-hour clock (often called “military time” in everyday language) uses a continuous count of hours from midnight to midnight: 00:00 (or 0000) through 23:59 (or 2359). This system eliminates the need for AM/PM, giving each hour of the day a unique number.
For example:

• 1:00 AM becomes 01:00 (0100)
• 1:00 PM becomes 13:00 (1300)
• 11:59 PM becomes 23:59
  This structure promotes clarity and precision when time‐stamping events or coordinating across time zones.

Who Uses the 24-Hour Clock and Why

• Military and defence operations – requiring around-the-clock readiness and global coordination.
• Healthcare and emergency services – where precise time logs can make a critical difference in patient care or incident response.
• Aviation, rail, shipping – for globally synchronised schedules across time zones.
• International and technical communications – e.g., meeting logs, computer systems, aviation aviation logs, where ambiguity must be avoided.

How to Convert Between 12-Hour and 24-Hour Time

From Standard (12-Hour) to 24-Hour:

• For times between 1:00 AM and 11:59 AM: drop the “AM” and format the hour as two digits (e.g., 09:45 AM → 09:45)
• 12:00 PM (noon) is written as 12:00
• For times from 1:00 PM onwards: add 12 to the hour (e.g., 3:00 PM → 15:00)
• 12:00 AM (midnight) is written as 00:00
  Example: 7:30 PM becomes 19:30 (7 + 12 = 19)
  This is the simplest mental shortcut.

From 24-Hour to 12-Hour:

• If the hour is between 00 and 11: it’s AM (e.g., 09:15 → 9:15 AM; 00:45 → 12:45 AM)
• If the hour is 12:00 to 12:59: it’s PM (e.g., 12:30 → 12:30 PM)
• If the hour is greater than 12: subtract 12 and append PM (e.g., 17:20 → 5:20 PM)
• Hours of “00” correspond to midnight hour.
  These conversions let you move seamlessly between formats.

Conversion Chart

Tips & Memory Shortcuts

• For times after noon: just add 12 to the hour (e.g., 4 PM = 16:00)
• For times before noon: the hour remains the same—just ensure two-digit format (e.g., 9 AM = 09:00)
• Midnight is 00:00, not “24:00” (though in some charts “24:00” may be used as end-of-day).
• When converting from 24-hour to 12-hour, subtract 12 from hours greater than 12, and append PM.
• Viewing your digital clock on your device in 24-hour format (if available) is a good way to become comfortable with reading it.

FAQs

Q1. Is “1300” the same as 1 PM?

A: Yes, 13:00 (or “1300” in military shorthand) equals 1:00 PM.

Q2. Why do some resources list “24:00”?

A: The notation “24:00” can mark the end of a calendar day, but in many systems it’s replaced by 00:00 of the next day.

Q3. Do we say “hundred hours”?

A: In traditional military or aviation communication, 16:00 would be spoken “sixteen hundred hours.” The casual term “military time” is a bit of a misnomer it’s really the 24-hour clock.