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
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Blue hour in Trondheim, Norway
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Maybe we should be looking up
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An opulent backdrop for a historic event
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Glacial spires in the fog
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Halloween
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Racing toward history
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Behold the mighty Aldeyjarfoss
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Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
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Busy building wetlands
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World Lion Day
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A river runs through it
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A theatrical dream
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Salzburg, Austria
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Oxbow Bend on the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
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Acadia transformed
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Stop and see the flowers
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Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Arkansas
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International Haiku Poetry Day
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April Fools Day
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Waimea Canyon and Waipoo Falls, Kauai, Hawaii
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European Day of Parks
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Mexico celebrates its Independence Day
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Lights, camera, Sundance
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Hut, hut, hike!
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Seasonal lights dazzle in Japan
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International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples
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Travel Sunday: Flamenco in Granada, Andalusia, Spain
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Tour de France begins
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San Gimignano, Siena Tuscany, Italy
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Vineyards in the Mosel Valley, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany