On November 3, 2024, most US residents will add 60 minutes to their weekend by turning their clocks back an hour. This simple action marks the end of Daylight Saving Time (DST), which began on March 10, 2024. It helps shift sunlight back into the morning hours during the darker winter days.
The German Empire first introduced DST during World War I. The army hoped it would reduce energy consumption and save fuel for the war effort. The US and Britain adopted DST shortly after. However, all the countries reverted to Standard Time when the war ended in 1918.
DST was reinstated during World War II. US officials reversed it once the war ended in 1945. However, states and districts were allowed to continue the tradition. They could also choose their start and end dates for DST.
This resulted in what Time Magazine described as a "chaos of clocks." By 1965, the state of Iowa alone had 23 different sets of DST start and end dates. Meanwhile, passengers on a 35 mile (56 km) bus ride from Steubenville, Ohio, to Moundsville, West Virginia, experienced seven time changes along the way!
The Uniform Time Act of 1966 ended this confusion by setting the same "spring forward" and "fall back" dates for the entire country. However, the law was not mandatory. As a result, Hawaii, most of Arizona, and the US territories — Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands — chose not to adopt it.
The original DST dates were set for the last Sundays in April and October. However, in 1986, President Ronald Reagan moved the DST start date to the first Sunday in April. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 changed it again, this time to the second Sunday in March. It also extended the DST end date to the first Sunday in November. These changes have helped reduce the dark winter days by nearly five weeks.
The biannual clock change has always been controversial. Many believe that the disruption in sleep patterns negatively affects the health of the elderly and those with serious illnesses. The time change is also linked to an increase in driving and workplace accidents.
However, businesses such as golf courses, retailers, and restaurants oppose the idea of abolishing DST. They argue that the longer summer evenings encourage consumers to go out and spend money at their establishments. This sentiment seems to be shared by US lawmakers, who have repeatedly rejected petitions to eliminate DST. So, unless you are in Hawaii, Arizona, or a US territory, plan to enjoy the extra hour on November 3.
Happy "Fall Back!"
Resources: Wikipedia.org, Natgeo.com, History.com
