Daylight Saving Time Ends Sunday, Nov 6, 2011

Who’s idea was this? Why do we do this? And doesn’t it seem late this year? For the answer to those and other Daylight Saving Trivia read on…

• Benjamin Franklin conceived of the idea while in Paris in 1784 because he thought the French were using too much lamp oil.
• William Willett, a London builder, proposed a way to implement the idea in 1907 using 20 minute increments four times per year but the idea never took off.
• Standard time zones were driven by the railroad. As rapid transportation became more common a standard time measure was necessary for scheduling. They were instituted on November 18, 1883 and established into law in 1918.
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt instituted year-round Daylight Saving Time during WWII as a way to conserve fuel that was needed for the war effort.
• The Department of Transportation has been responsible for time zones and Daylight Saving Time since 1966.
• The Uniform Time Act of 1966 standardized Daylight Saving Time in the US.
• The Energy Policy Act of 2005 changed the dates to the 2^nd Sunday in March and the 1^st Sunday in November.
• Until 2005 Indiana allowed each county to decide whether to observe Daylight Saving Time or not.
• Daylight Saving Time is not mandatory and is not observed in Arizona or Hawaii.
• In other countries Daylight Saving Time is known as Summer Time Period.
• The reasons to switch to Daylight Saving Time are to conserve energy, prevent crime and reduce traffic accidents. It has nothing to do with farming, which is a common mis-perception.
• Daylight Saving Time officially begins at 2am instead of midnight so as not to change the date.
• The rhyme to remember which way to turn the clocks is “Spring forward; Fall back”.
• And don’t forget to change those smoke/carbon monoxide detectors while you’re at it.