It"s the 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, except in Arizona and Hawaii, reminding us that time, quite literally, waits for no one. The idea is simple: maximizing daylight and reducing energy consumption by syncing our activities with the natural light cycle. This concept was popularized 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, when many countries adopted DST to conserve fuel during wartime. The US officially standardized it in 1966 with the Uniform Time Act. Today, DST runs from March to November in around 70 countries, giving eight months of extended evening light.
Daylight saving time begins
Today in History
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The Door County Coastal Byway in Wisconsin
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Let the harvest begin
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This grizzly has Napping Day down
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Spring comes to the Diablo foothills
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Flower of Life symbol drawn in snow
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Waimea Canyon and Waipoo Falls, Kauai, Hawaii
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Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, New Mexico
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Gray seal sleeping on the beach, Orkney Islands, Scotland
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Humpbacks return to the Inside Passage
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Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri
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The story of the poinsettia
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Coming home to roost
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Nature Photography Day
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Hello, spring!
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Gespensterwald, Nienhagen, Germany
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Whooper swans, Kotoku Pond, Japan
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Construction workers resting above Manhattan
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Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
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Paleontology meets art
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Celebrating Yi Peng
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Zion National Park Turns 100
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Whale hello there!
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A day to celebrate teachers
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Mossy Grotto Falls, Oregon
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Flowers by the sea
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Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch on the institution s 175th anniversary
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Noctilucent clouds
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Paradise, found
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Hohenzollern Castle near Stuttgart, Germany
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Long-eared owl in the Czech Republic
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It s Australia Day
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Breckenridge, Colorado
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Cannes, France, in the spotlight
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Victory Day in Valletta
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Wind Cave National Park celebrates 120 years
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Duck, duck. duck, duck, duck...
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Into the woods
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A lush, green escape
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