Home Consumer The Strange 100-Year History of Daylight Saving Time

The Strange 100-Year History of Daylight Saving Time

Saving Time
(Image: Clark Howard)

People in the United States will feel a bit more exhausted on March 11, as daylight saving time 2018 begins. The clocks spring forward at 1 a.m. local time on Sunday, robbing most states of an hour of sweet, sweet sleep in exchange for an extra hour of daylight during common working hours.

You’ve probably heard that Ben Franklin kind of proposed daylight saving time (also erroneously called daylight savings time) centuries before it was implemented, and that the twice-yearly switch was initially adopted to save us money on energy needs.

But if you dig deeper, you’ll find out that the daylight-hoarding tradition—which was adopted in the United States a hundred years ago—has an even more colorful history. Around the world, daylight saving time has been affecting international relations, creating nested time zones, and potentially influencing your health.

Here are a few of the lesser-known facts about daylight saving time.

Faith Based Events

THRIFT WASN’T THE ONLY REASON FOR SAVING DAYLIGHT

In 1895, George Hudson, an entomologist from New Zealand, came up with the modern concept of daylight saving time. He proposed a two-hour time shift so he’d have more after-work hours of sunshine to go bug hunting in the summer.

 

[vc_btn title=”Continue reading” style=”outline” color=”black” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fnews.nationalgeographic.com%2F2018%2F03%2Fdaylight-savings-time-arizona-florida-spring-forward-science%2F||target:%20_blank|”][vc_message message_box_style=”outline” message_box_color=”black”]National Geographicexcerpt posted on SouthFloridaReporter.com, Mar. 10, 2018[/vc_message]

Disclaimer

The information contained in South Florida Reporter is for general information purposes only.
The South Florida Reporter assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in the contents of the Service.
In no event shall the South Florida Reporter be liable for any special, direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages or any damages whatsoever, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tort, arising out of or in connection with the use of the Service or the contents of the Service. The Company reserves the right to make additions, deletions, or modifications to the contents of the Service at any time without prior notice.
The Company does not warrant that the Service is free of viruses or other harmful components


The National Geographic Society is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization dedicated to exploring our planet, protecting wildlife and habitats, and helping assure that students in K-12 are geographically literate. Our discoveries and breakthroughs are shared with a global audience through the renowned National Geographic magazine, Nat Geo television channels, digital products, and other media managed by National Geographic Partners, as well as through live events and immersive experiences. We rely on the support of generous donors to fund our work in research, education, and conservation around the world. Thank you for making this work possible!