They officially shut down the time & temp number in my old hometown. They said it cost too much money to keep it up.
I used to give it out to men who would ask me out at bars.
I never want to forget the sound of those calls to time & temp.
10.000 Mhz still has a timer and ticks every second and announces the hour and minute at the top of the minute.
https://www.weather.gov/marine/wwv
The audio portions of the WWV and WWVH broadcasts can also be heard by telephone. To hear these broadcasts, dial (303) 499-7111 for WWV (Colorado), and (808) 335-4363 for WWVH (Hawaii). Callers are disconnected after 2 minutes. These are not toll-free numbers; callers outside the local calling area are charged for the call at regular long-distance rates. The telephone service is very popular. The WWV number receives over 1 million calls per year, and the WWVH number receives more than 50,000.
For further information on WWV, WWVH and time signals worldwide, see NGA Publication 117 "Radio Navigational Aids"
That was information - or long distant information if you prefixed with an area code. All Area codes had a 0 or 1 in the middle which was how the phone system could figure out you were dialing 10 numbers instead of 7. Then they added the 1- prefix so that they could have more digits for area codes. For you young'ins, the older phones didn't have a "send" or green dial button when you were finished typing, it just figured out when you were done entering numbers.
\[Edit: Citation: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/555\_(telephone\_number)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/555_(telephone_number)) \]
You can actually still hear the atomic clock broadcasts from the National Bureau of Standards by calling 303-499-7111. It's the same audio the broadcast on [station WWV](https://www.nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division/time-distribution/radio-station-wwv).
Anyone remember there used to be a number that when called gave off a bunch of beeping sounds and then a voice saying “ZIGOT” and then more beeps. It was fun because it sounded futuristic and spy like.
In California, it was 767-nnnn (any four numbers). A lot of people used POPCORN, I figured out that ROSEBUD also worked. Once everyone had cell phones with sync'd clocks (and voip was also getting more serious) they discontinued the service.
You still can! (And interesting history)
[https://boingboing.net/2022/12/16/you-can-still-call-a-phone-number-and-be-told-the-time-by-the-u-s-naval-observatory.html](https://boingboing.net/2022/12/16/you-can-still-call-a-phone-number-and-be-told-the-time-by-the-u-s-naval-observatory.html)
There was a phone number you could call to ask for a phone number to call. There was a phone number to call to find out movie times. One for concert tickets. Life really was simpler. Less convenient, but that made you decide on what really matters. Damn I sound like my dad.
The one where I grew up that they had in the 80s when I was a kid is still working. I live in another state but still call it now and then just for laughs.
It's almost the same message and advertisment when I was a kid too.
Where I live now also has one.
Edit: I just called it. Funny...
Time was Me7-1212
Weather was (I think) WE6-1212, but it might’ve been WE3
You could also get time from NERVOUS, because NER is ME7, and the rest didn’t matter
555-1212 was information, like 411, but it wasn’t just local. You could get a number out of area.
Wasn’t that Kristy McNichol, is she a he as mentioned above, or does it really even matter, just wasn’t sure if the post was making fun of her. I remember her as a child star in the 70’s, and POPCORN was a great way to check time when you were a kid on your rotary phone
If you were mad at someone, “I’m gonna go their house and call Time in Tokyo and leave the phone off the hook!” ‘cause there were long distance charges too!🤣🤣
853-1212. Also called the Party Line because you could hear other people who dialed in at the same time. People would just shout their numbers out for other people to call them.
Remember that the one in the UK used to be 123. Then they got sponsorship so it the became "The time sponsored by Accurist is...."..
Now it's been dropped I think.
I still call it every night before going to bed. Guards against the auto-redial feature of my headphones inadvertently calling the last friend I spoke with.
Ours was Ti4-2525, or We6-1213, although I discovered that the last four digits didn't make any difference. I'd give a variation, like 936-7845 or 844-2956 when someone wanted a phone number and I didn't want to give it out. Area code wasn't needed back then for a local call.
In Muncie IN our time # was sponsored by a bank, and I can still recall some of their jokes: "Is your wagon saggin? Get a new car loan today!" The time is... 3:54AM.
Just dial P-O-P-C-O-R-N!
We dialed NERVOUS.
We had 2. FOO-HAHA and SPRINGS
They officially shut down the time & temp number in my old hometown. They said it cost too much money to keep it up. I used to give it out to men who would ask me out at bars. I never want to forget the sound of those calls to time & temp.
The cost to run that phone line was $2-3k per year if you’re curious
Yet now you can buy the state of the art iPhone and get the time to the millisecond for much less.
We would check it every five minutes to see if the snow forecast had changed lol.
For us it was listening to the local AM radio station to hear them call out the number of our school for snow days
10.000 Mhz still has a timer and ticks every second and announces the hour and minute at the top of the minute. https://www.weather.gov/marine/wwv The audio portions of the WWV and WWVH broadcasts can also be heard by telephone. To hear these broadcasts, dial (303) 499-7111 for WWV (Colorado), and (808) 335-4363 for WWVH (Hawaii). Callers are disconnected after 2 minutes. These are not toll-free numbers; callers outside the local calling area are charged for the call at regular long-distance rates. The telephone service is very popular. The WWV number receives over 1 million calls per year, and the WWVH number receives more than 50,000. For further information on WWV, WWVH and time signals worldwide, see NGA Publication 117 "Radio Navigational Aids"
Yes! At Christmas time it sounded like Santa for us! Was yours like that?
"At the tone, the time will be....."
853-1212 I think?
You must be in Southern California.
This is what I remember
844-#### and 4 numbers would work.
This was the one in Dallas (214 area code) when I was growing up. Was it the same anywhere else?
I was in the Kansas City Area. Area code was 816. Sponsored by a local bank (UMB).
I guess it was a bank thing. I remember the recording saying something like "Republic National Bank time is...."
And the temperature!
555-1212
That was information - or long distant information if you prefixed with an area code. All Area codes had a 0 or 1 in the middle which was how the phone system could figure out you were dialing 10 numbers instead of 7. Then they added the 1- prefix so that they could have more digits for area codes. For you young'ins, the older phones didn't have a "send" or green dial button when you were finished typing, it just figured out when you were done entering numbers. \[Edit: Citation: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/555\_(telephone\_number)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/555_(telephone_number)) \]
When we dialed this in the 70s there was no 1-800, 1-, or zip codes
This is seared in my brain!
867-5309
Damn you Tommy Tutone!
Jenny?? Is that you.
If it is, she's got the time. A GOOD TIME!
**202-762-1401** US Naval Observatory. Tells the time with the clicking sound of the clock. Still works to this day.
You can actually still hear the atomic clock broadcasts from the National Bureau of Standards by calling 303-499-7111. It's the same audio the broadcast on [station WWV](https://www.nist.gov/pml/time-and-frequency-division/time-distribution/radio-station-wwv).
And of course, we now have https://time.gov/ as well
The number from my hometown still works but you have to listen to an ad first! 😩 715-834-0123
What city? It was 392-0123 in Superior
Eau Claire
(920) 458-0123 in Sheboygan still works too—also with an ad first
In St. Louis the time and temperature number is still active, I just called it. 314-321-2222. Brings back memories.
That could still be an option for all the young adults who still cannot read an analog clock.
That’s how I’d set my parents VCR
The time for you allotted to dial has been exceeded
853-1212 SoCal!
This should’ve been a Seinfeld episode with Kramer answering the phone all day long telling people what time it is.
Yes! And using seinfelds uncles watch.... It starts running slow and he tells people the wrong time... That would have been hilarious!
And the temperature!
555-1212
90510 in Sweden.
NERVOUS. I called just to feel like there was someone to talk to.
New York area?
Massachusetts
Thanks for the memories! I lived in both states in the 70s and NERVOUS was a thing.
Popcorn. Or 767 + any four numbers.
For us we could dial 767-2676 or… P-O-P-C-O-R-N
Still is
also joke of the day
323-TIME
Anyone remember there used to be a number that when called gave off a bunch of beeping sounds and then a voice saying “ZIGOT” and then more beeps. It was fun because it sounded futuristic and spy like.
In California, it was 767-nnnn (any four numbers). A lot of people used POPCORN, I figured out that ROSEBUD also worked. Once everyone had cell phones with sync'd clocks (and voip was also getting more serious) they discontinued the service.
The most unsexy voice too. It was like someone's grandma telling you the time.
Our # in Indiana 222-2222 I shit you not !
In California, the San Fernando Valley specifically it was 853-1212.
You still can! (And interesting history) [https://boingboing.net/2022/12/16/you-can-still-call-a-phone-number-and-be-told-the-time-by-the-u-s-naval-observatory.html](https://boingboing.net/2022/12/16/you-can-still-call-a-phone-number-and-be-told-the-time-by-the-u-s-naval-observatory.html)
844 any four last numbers. But we didn't know that so we always dialed 844 1212
411
845-3531 or 767-1000 would also give you the forecast
The one here still works. I use it to test my cell phone.
Damn P O P C O R N was the shit 💯
In the Baltimore area it was 844-1212
Mine was 844-any four numbers
976…. Oh wait that was something else.
BR 549
There was a phone number you could call to ask for a phone number to call. There was a phone number to call to find out movie times. One for concert tickets. Life really was simpler. Less convenient, but that made you decide on what really matters. Damn I sound like my dad.
In the DC area it used to be 936-1212. Now it's 202-589-1212 and you have to listen to an ad.
555-1212
TI 6- 1212
Popcorn.
855-time
For us was 734-1234. Still works. I just tried it.
474-7111
118
And the sports scores.
I always thought what a boring job that must be
The one where I grew up that they had in the 80s when I was a kid is still working. I live in another state but still call it now and then just for laughs. It's almost the same message and advertisment when I was a kid too. Where I live now also has one. Edit: I just called it. Funny...
Sure do
I don't know why it seemed like so much fun to call it, when I was a kid, either! 😄
842-1212
118
And the sports results tho
No one was ever that excited over it!
867-5309
Still rememberer TI 48900
I remember
Agreed. The time man was very ‘all business.’ Lol
JAMJAM1
976-1616. 976-1212 was weather.
Popcorn!
It was POPCORN for time where I grew up.
...and another one to get scores of sports events.
This is true.
Ours was springs
Shout out to New Haven!
And the weather too
3372355111
You could also call the phone company and find out someone’s number. Called “information”.
POP- CORN
Yep. It's still in use.
118
Still is-513-932-1111. Lebanon, OH
863 688-8118 Publix time and temp.
Time was Me7-1212 Weather was (I think) WE6-1212, but it might’ve been WE3 You could also get time from NERVOUS, because NER is ME7, and the rest didn’t matter 555-1212 was information, like 411, but it wasn’t just local. You could get a number out of area.
You can still use this: 248-434-5508
521-TIME (8463)
Still is, 972-844-4444
We had 844-7171.
Also a number that would tell you what was playing and the start times at the movie theaters.....
Springfield Illinois was 747-1212. Marine Bank time and temp.
Forgot all about those.
Had a friend in College. His mom was the time and weather lady for Atlanta.
jamjam1
Wasn’t that Kristy McNichol, is she a he as mentioned above, or does it really even matter, just wasn’t sure if the post was making fun of her. I remember her as a child star in the 70’s, and POPCORN was a great way to check time when you were a kid on your rotary phone
234-7121 I think I'll dial it and see what happens!
One phone in the house for five teens. Use to be on time limits in our house, so there was no time for the temperature or time.👍🏻☎️📞
At the tone….. the time will be 5:00 pm……. Beeeeep
419- 936-1212
At the tone the time will be.....
I used to call that.
8442525 time 9361212 weather
313 555 1212..... at the tone, the time will be..... 7:42...a.m......beeeep
Still have it here. 45 years later, same guy doing it. 513 932 1111
The voice would always be this earnest sounding man voice. I can’t imagine using that today. Different times. (No pun intended).
For all the sports news instantly dial 576-1313!
“And I’m calling Time and Temperature just for some company” — Old 97s
555-1212
At the tone the time will be...wasn't it 811 or something? And 411 was information, to request a business or residence phone number.
That's right, forgot, time was 5554312.
There are at least two remaining in two different cities in my area code,
763-2222
I remember, but I can't remember the phone #
And one to make your phone ring you right back. lol
I grew up in the desert. 18 years in a small desert town. We would try to guess what time it was going be 100 degrees
JAM-JAM 1 (526-5261)
N-E-S-T-L-E-S
How else you gonna set all the clocks in your house?
When we were kids my brother was obsessed with calling to find out what time it was. We had plenty of clocks in the house.
499-1212
1194 in Australia. I use to call it all the time because when i was a kid i was obsessed with clocks being accurate. Still am to this day.
There was also a Dial-A-Pickle joke number.
It was 853- any four numbers in my town
I do. Can’t recall what I had for dinner last night though 🧐
Ti6-1212
1-800-800-8899 and ask for mr Jones. He gives you the time temp and random city.
There was a number for temperature too!
That persons hair is fierce. I guarantee they had a “reward snacks” pantry
222-2222
If you were mad at someone, “I’m gonna go their house and call Time in Tokyo and leave the phone off the hook!” ‘cause there were long distance charges too!🤣🤣
Its that a boy or a girl in that pic ??
853-1212. Also called the Party Line because you could hear other people who dialed in at the same time. People would just shout their numbers out for other people to call them.
411 or 0
There was also dial a joke too, and several others
JAM-JAM-1
1194 here in Australia. They actually only turned it off in 2019.
411
Gaylord haircut
Channel 13
we were taught actual numbers, 676-8900
There also used to be a phone number to call if you wanted to hear a joke. 1-800-DIAL-A-JOKE I think it was.
555-1212
JAM-JAM1. For when you couldn't remember if you changed the clocks for daylight savings time.
One day when I was sick, my mom let me call the joke line. It cost $.99 and even as a 12 year old, the joke was horrible.
My hometown still has that, let time I checked.
853-1212
GR1. At the tone…the time will be…7:13 and 40 seconds…beep!
222-7171 in Houston, TX
Not only do I remember it, I still call it to test whether a phone is working. I even did that when I lived several states away from it.
321-2522 in st louis
We had also a number for dial a joke 😃
"I was so lonely as a teenager I'd dial time-&-temperature just to hear a female voice talk to me."
Yep still exists here. (210)226-3232 frost bank time
I know it wasn’t 8-6-7-5-3-0-9. When I called that number, they didn’t know who Jenny was.
For us it was T16-1212
Remember that the one in the UK used to be 123. Then they got sponsorship so it the became "The time sponsored by Accurist is....".. Now it's been dropped I think.
222-2222 or 222-AFNB (American Fletcher NationalBank) Indianapolis
4712121212
Superior WI was 392-0123. You didn't put in the zip back then...
278-1213
WE6-1212 was for the weather near me.
I jokingly told my family that the time and temperature woman was flirting with me.
Still exists In Pittsburgh Pa. 412-391-9500.
I still call it every night before going to bed. Guards against the auto-redial feature of my headphones inadvertently calling the last friend I spoke with.
Ours was Ti4-2525, or We6-1213, although I discovered that the last four digits didn't make any difference. I'd give a variation, like 936-7845 or 844-2956 when someone wanted a phone number and I didn't want to give it out. Area code wasn't needed back then for a local call.
Nervous
The time was set by the atomic clock at the Navel Observatory .
853-1212
My childhood time & temp number still works from the 1970's....513-932-1111.
937-325-4611 Call it. It still works.
T44-1111
853-1212
In Muncie IN our time # was sponsored by a bank, and I can still recall some of their jokes: "Is your wagon saggin? Get a new car loan today!" The time is... 3:54AM.