Spring Forward, Fall Back
"Springing forward" and "falling back" are turning points that are taken for granted by most. We have a tough time remembering which weekend to change the clocks, but we never really question why we do it or who started it in the first place. Daylight Savings Time is something that comes and goes, giving us a little more sunlight and making us late or early for appointments two Sundays a year. Did you ever wonder why we change the clocks or who started the whole thing?
DST is observed around the world in about 70 countries. From its inception, DST was an energy-saving idea. By increasing the daylight hours, we cut down on the use of energy by shortening the time between the sunset and bedtime. Although Benjamin Franklin is credited with first suggesting the idea in an essay in 1784, it wasn't really discussed seriously until 1907. William Willett from England lobbied for a change in the clock and finally convinced Parliament to implement British Summer Time in 1916. In 1918, the U.S. was on DST for seven months during World War I. It was not appreciated, and even though a law was subsequently passed making Daylight Savings official, it was later repealed. During WWII, DST was implemented again, and this time it stuck despite no U.S. Law to enforce its use. Different states and cities observed DST while others did not. This confuisng practice continued through 1966, when a law was passed for the entire country. DST was to be in effect from the last Sunday of April to the Last Sunday of October. Places that did not want to observe DST were still free to do so by exempting themselves through local ordinances.
Several times thorugh out its history, DST has been extended to save energy. During the Oil embargo of the early 1970s, the nation was on DST for two years straight. In 1986, under Reagan, DST was extended and the start date was moved to the first Sunday in April.
In 2006, the first Sunday of April and the last Sunday of October are still the dates to remember. But, just when you think you've committed those weekends to memory, Daylight Savings Time is being extended again. Starting in 2007, DST will last from the second Sunday in March through the first Sunday of November, courtesy of an energy bill passed in 2005!