It started in Europe
ORLANDO, Fla. – In 1907, William Willet penned a book titled “The Waste of Daylight,” advocating for the adoption of daylight saving time. He highlighted that, “The sun shines upon the land for several hours each day while we are asleep,” leaving only a brief window of diminishing daylight for leisure activities.
Willet campaigned before Parliament for this change, asserting that it would enhance individuals’ access to sunlight and economize on fuel expenses. However, the legislation wasn’t ratified until after his death.
You’re right. Daylight saving time is more recent than many people realize
Benjamin Franklin is often credited with originating the idea in 1784, and Germany was the first nation to experiment with it in 1916.
President Woodrow Wilson enacted it into law in 1918, but it was rescinded seven months later, as reported by the Chicago Tribune. Despite President Franklin D. Roosevelt reintroducing it in 1942, daylight saving time didn’t become officially recognized until 1966.
This occurred when President Lyndon Johnson signed legislation to standardize the start and end dates of daylight saving time across the country.
Daylight saving time is not observed by everyone
Some regions, such as Arizona (excluding the Navajo Nation), Hawaii, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, do not participate in daylight saving time.
Additionally, parts of Indiana refrained from recognizing it until it was adopted statewide in 2006. Several other states have also considered legislation to abandon the time change in recent years.
I thought it was daylight savings time
The correct term is “daylight saving time.” It’s a common mistake to say “daylight savings time,” but the correct phrasing is without the “s” at the end of “saving.”
Daylight saving time impacts weather
Additionally, the time change affects the timing of when we experience our daily high and low temperatures. During this time of year, high temperatures usually occur between noon and 2 p.m. as the earlier sunrise warms up the atmosphere.
In the summer, with a later sunrise, our high temperatures are pushed back later in the day. This time change also influences our record-keeping processes.
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