Daylight Saving Time: Weird Facts and History

This Sunday morning, just as every second Sunday morning since 2007, we will set our clock forward one hour at 2am. We all complain about it – who wants to lose an hour of sleep? But how much do you actually know about the time change? Here are some interesting and weird facts about DST.

The idea of DST was brought to life by William Willett from Britain but officially started in Germany in 1916 to help conserve energy. Britain followed soon after calling it “Summer Time”.

DST is not unique to the US. In fact, there are about 70 different countries who participate in DST.

The US enacted timezones and DST in 1918 with the Standard Time Act but it was repealed in 1919. Still, most of the US recognizes it.

In 1966, The Uniform Time Act worked to uniform time in the US, with DST starting the the last Sunday in April and ending the Sunday in October.

States are not required to recognize DST.

It’s actually pronounce Daylight Saving Time (singular) not Daylight Savings Time.

Florida currently has a bill that has moved to the senate called the Sunshine Protection Act proposing DST be made permanent.

DST was implemented not to help farmers have more time in the fields, as the story goes, but to saving on electric costs in cities.

In 2005, President George W Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005 Extending DST to the second Sunday in March-First Sunday in November.

Hawaii, Guam, Virgin Islands, Arizona, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa do not participate in DST.