Daylight saving time begins Mar. 9, 2025

It"s that time of year again—when clocks spring forward, stealing an hour of sleep but giving us longer evenings to enjoy. Daylight saving time (DST) starts today at 2 AM, reminding us that time, quite literally, waits for no one. The idea is simple: maximising daylight and reducing energy consumption by syncing our activities with the natural light cycle. This concept was popularised by Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century, though his suggestion to "save candles" was more satirical than a serious proposal. Fast forward to the early 20th century, and many countries adopted DST to conserve fuel during wartime. Today, DST runs from March to November in around 70 countries, giving us eight months of extended evening light.

© scaliger/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

A rainbow that’s worth the rainfall
Mar. 9, 2024Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, New Mexico, USA
Mar. 9, 2026Grey seal sleeping on the beach, Orkney Islands, Scotland

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Oct. 29, 2023Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia, USA
Mar. 17, 2026Happy St. Patricks Day!
Heavenly hot springs
Feb. 11, 2026Death Valley National Park, California, United States
Best views tower
Jan. 16, 2024Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Its puffling season!
Oct. 12, 2024World Migratory Bird Day
Jan. 25, 2025Porto, Portugal
Jan. 19, 2026Abraham Lake, Alberta
May 31, 2025Knuthöjdsmossen nature reserve, Sweden
Oct. 4, 2025Nuit Blanche Toronto
Nov. 24, 2025Gwalior Fort, Madhya Pradesh, India
Were halfway there
An oasis in the desert
Straight out of a fairytale
Jan. 15, 2026The fishing village of Reine, Norway
Jan. 1, 2026Happy New Year!
Nov. 21, 2024Aspen trees, British Columbia
Jan. 24, 2025Thorrablot: The Icelandic midwinter festival
A modern recreation
Celebrating Canada and Englands common bond
Masterpiece of acoustic science
Feb. 25, 2024Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island
King of the ocean
Stunning symmetry
Sep. 9, 2023Ayutthaya Historical Park, Thailand
Paddle power
Jul. 27, 2025Barracudas at Shark Reef, Ras Mohammed National Park, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
Nov. 26, 2023Fallow deer, Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, England