History of Daylight saving time in Timeline
Daylight saving time (DST) involves advancing clocks, usually by one hour, during the spring or late winter to better utilize daylight during summer months, causing darkness to occur later in the evening. Clocks are then set back to standard time in the autumn. This practice is also known as daylight saving(s), daylight savings time, daylight time, or summer time in various regions.
1907: Willett's proposal illustrates political issues
In 1907, Willett's proposal illustrated several political issues.
1907: Willett's Proposal Uses Term Daylight Saving
In 1907, Willett's proposal in Britain used the term daylight saving.
1907: William Willett independently conceives DST
In 1907, William Willett independently conceived of DST, observing Londoners sleeping through summer daylight and disliking cutting short his golf rounds at dusk.
1907: William Willett proposes British Summer Time
In 1907, William Willett proposed British Summer Time to save energy. Though Parliament considered it, implementation didn't occur until 1916.
February 1908: First Daylight Saving Bill introduced to British House of Commons
On February 12, 1908, Robert Pearce introduced the first Daylight Saving Bill to the British House of Commons, though it did not become law.
July 1908: Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada enacts DST
On July 1, 1908, Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada, became the first city in the world to enact DST.
1908: First Implementation of DST in Canada
In 1908, Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada, was the first to implement DST, but only locally, not nationally.
May 1909: US DST bill dies in committee
In May 1909, Andrew Peters introduced a DST bill to the US House of Representatives, but it soon died in committee.
1911: Summer Time Replaces Daylight Saving Time in Draft Legislation
By 1911, the term summer time replaced daylight saving time in draft legislation in Britain.
1911: Similar bills introduced
From 1911 through 1914 Willett's allies introduced similar bills every year, to no avail.
1911: Orillia, Ontario introduces DST
In 1911, Orillia, Ontario, introduced DST while William Sword Frost was mayor.
1912: Orillia, Ontario introduces DST
In 1912, Orillia, Ontario, introduced DST while William Sword Frost was mayor.
1914: Similar bills introduced
From 1911 through 1914 Willett's allies introduced similar bills every year, to no avail.
1915: Death of William Willett
In 1915, William Willett, the independent conceiver of DST, died while lobbying for the proposal in the UK.
April 1916: Germany and its allies introduce DST
In April 1916, Germany and its allies introduced DST, aiming to alleviate wartime coal shortages and air-raid blackouts.
April 1916: Nation-wide Implementations in German and Austro-Hungarian Empires
In April 1916, the German and Austro-Hungarian Empires were the first to implement DST nation-wide.
May 1916: United Kingdom used DST first
On 21 May 1916 the United Kingdom used DST for the first time.
1916: British Summer Time Implemented
In 1916, British Summer Time, proposed by William Willett, was finally implemented after being seriously considered by Parliament.
1916: Germany's adoption of DST
Since Germany's adoption of DST in 1916, the world has seen many enactments, adjustments, and repeals of DST, with similar politics involved.
1917: US entry into the war overcame objections, and DST started in 1918
In 1917, the US' entry into the war overcame objections.
1918: First Implementation of DST in the US
In 1918, the US first implemented DST with the Standard Time Act, a wartime measure to conserve energy during World War I.
1918: The United States adopts daylight saving
In 1918, the United States adopted daylight saving.
1919: Congress repealed DST after 1919
After 1919, Congress repealed DST.
1922: Warren G. Harding ordered District of Columbia federal employees to start work at 8 am
In 1922 President Warren G. Harding ordered District of Columbia federal employees to start work at 8 am rather than 9 am during the summer.
1928: New Zealand DST implemented
In 1928, New Zealand implemented a form of Daylight Saving Time, based on a proposal made in 1895.
1930: Soviet Union Adopts Permanent "Summer Time"
Starting in 1930, the Soviet Union operated under permanent "summer time".
May 1965: St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota kept different clocks
In May 1965, St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, kept different clocks for two weeks.
1966: Standardized in the US by federal law
In 1966, DST was standardized in the US by federal law.
1966: Uniform Time Act formalized DST period in the US
In 1966, the Uniform Time Act formalized the United States' period of daylight saving time observation as lasting six months.
1966: Uniform Time Act standardizes DST in the US
In 1966, the Uniform Time Act standardized DST in the US, after periods of local jurisdiction choice.
1966: Uniform Time Act Permits States to Opt Out of DST
The Uniform Time Act of 1966 permits states to opt out of DST and observe permanent standard time, but it does not permit permanent DST.
1966: Standardization of peacetime DST in US
The history of time in the United States features DST during both world wars, but no standardization of peacetime DST until 1966.
1968: United Kingdom and Ireland Experiment with Year-Round Summer Time
The United Kingdom and Ireland experimented with year-round summer time starting in 1968.
1971: United Kingdom and Ireland End Experiment with Year-Round Summer Time
The United Kingdom and Ireland experimented with year-round summer time until 1971.
December 1973: High Support for Permanent DST During Oil Crisis
During the Oil Crisis in December 1973, 79% of those interviewed were in favor of permanent DST.
1974: Permanent DST enacted for the winter in the US
In 1974, permanent daylight saving time was enacted for the winter in the US, but it was repealed a year later due to complaints.
1978: Daylight Savings Time More Common Than Daylight Saving Time
As explained by Richard Meade, in 1978 the form 'daylight savings time' (with an "s") was already much more common than the older form 'daylight saving time' in American English.
1982: Soviet Union Continues Permanent "Summer Time"
The Soviet Union continued to operate under permanent "summer time" until at least 1982.
1986: DST period extended to seven months in the US
In 1986, the DST period in the US was extended to seven months.
1987: Extension to US DST
In the mid-1980s, Clorox and 7-Eleven provided the primary funding for the Daylight Saving Time Coalition behind the 1987 extension to US DST.
1992: Referendum on the introduction of daylight saving took place
In 1992, a referendum on the introduction of daylight saving took place in Queensland, Australia, after a three-year trial of daylight saving. It was defeated with a 54.5% "no" vote.
1996: Mexico Observes Summertime DST
Mexico started observing summertime daylight saving time in 1996.
1996: European Summer Time observed from last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October
Since 1996, European Summer Time has been observed from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October.
2000: Estimated Loss on US Stock Exchanges Due to DST
It has been argued that clock shifts correlate with decreased economic efficiency and that in 2000, the daylight-saving effect implied an estimated one-day loss of $31 billion on US stock exchanges.
2003: Support for year-round daylight saving time
In 2003, the United Kingdom's Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents supported a proposal to observe year-round daylight saving time, but it has been opposed by some industries.
2005: DST period extended to eight months in the US
In 2005, the DST period in the US was extended to eight months, motivated by lobbyists from the candy industry.
2005: Lobbying for the 2007 extension to US DST
In 2005, the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association and the National Association of Convenience Stores successfully lobbied for the 2007 extension to US DST.
2006: Indiana Begins Participating in DST
As recently as 2006, Indiana only began participating in daylight saving time.
2007: Extension to US DST
In 2007, the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association and the National Association of Convenience Stores successfully lobbied for the extension to US DST.
2007: Extended DST in the US and Canada
Starting in 2007, most of the United States and Canada observed DST from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November.
2007: POSIX Time Zone Values
Starting in 2007, timezone (TZ) values may specify time for the eastern United States, which must be changed whenever DST rules change, and the new value applies to all years, mishandling some older timestamps.
2007: North America DST Rule Changes Require Computer Upgrades
The 2007 change to DST rules in North America required many computer systems to be upgraded, particularly e-mail and calendar programs, creating a significant effort for corporate IT departments.
December 2008: Daylight Saving for South East Queensland political party registered
In December 2008, the Daylight Saving for South East Queensland (DS4SEQ) political party was officially registered in Queensland, advocating the implementation of a dual-time-zone arrangement for daylight saving in South East Queensland.
2008: US Department of Energy Finds No Significant Increase in Motor Gasoline Consumption Due to DST Extension
A 2008 United States Department of Energy report found no significant increase in motor gasoline consumption due to the 2007 United States extension of DST.
2008: Different DST change dates in Australian states
In 2008, most Australian states observing daylight saving time changed clocks forward on October 5, but Western Australia changed on October 26.
March 2009: DS4SEQ contested the Queensland state election
In March 2009, DS4SEQ contested the Queensland state election with 32 candidates and received one percent of the statewide primary vote.
2009: Summer time began annually on the last Sunday in March
As of 2009, summer time began annually on the last Sunday in March under a European Community directive.
April 2010: Daylight Saving for South East Queensland Referendum Bill introduced
On 14 April 2010, Queensland Independent member Peter Wellington introduced the Daylight Saving for South East Queensland Referendum Bill 2010 into the Queensland parliament.
June 2011: Queensland parliament rejected Wellington's bill
On 15 June 2011, the Queensland parliament rejected Wellington's bill.
October 2014: Russia Switches Back to Standard Time
In October 2014, Russia abandoned its permanent daylight saving time plan due to widespread complaints about dark winter mornings and switched back to standard time (UTC+3:00) permanently.
2014: Russia Switches Back to Standard Time
In 2014, Russia switched permanently back to standard time after a period of permanent DST proved unpopular.
2016: Summer time began annually on the last Sunday in March, may be Easter Sunday
As of 2009, summer time began annually on the last Sunday in March under a European Community directive, which may be Easter Sunday (as in 2016).
2016: Troll research station shifts two hours directly between CEST and GMT
Since 2016, Troll (research station) shifts two hours directly between CEST and GMT.
2017: Meta-Analysis Finds DST Leads to Electricity Savings
A 2017 meta-analysis of 44 studies found that DST leads to electricity savings of 0.3% during the days when DST applies.
2017: Study Estimates Deaths and Social Cost Due to DST Transition
A 2017 study in the American Economic Journal: Applied Economics estimated that "the transition into DST caused over 30 deaths at a social cost of $275 million annually", primarily by increasing sleep deprivation.
September 2018: European Commission Proposes to End Seasonal Clock Changes
In September 2018, the European Commission proposed to end seasonal clock changes as of 2019, giving member states the option of observing either daylight saving time or standard time all year round.
2018: European Parliament Reviews Abolition of DST
In 2018, the European Parliament, reviewing a possible abolition of DST, approved a more in-depth evaluation examining the disruption of the human body's circadian rhythms which provided evidence suggesting the existence of an association between DST clock-shifts and a modest increase of occurrence of acute myocardial infarction, especially in the first week after the spring shift.
2018: Marco Rubio Files Bills to Extend DST Permanently
Since 2018, Florida Senator Marco Rubio has repeatedly filed bills to extend daylight saving time permanently into winter, without success.
March 2019: European Parliament Approves Commission's Proposal to End Clock Changes
In March 2019, the European Parliament approved the European Commission's proposal to end seasonal clock changes, deferring implementation from 2019 until 2021.
2019: Survey Indicates Preference for Permanent Standard Time
A 2019 survey by the National Opinion Research Center indicated more Americans would prefer permanent Standard Time.
2019: Morocco observes DST every month but Ramadan
Since 2019, Morocco observes DST every month but Ramadan, when it uses Western European Time (UTC+00:00).
October 2020: Decision on Ending Seasonal Clock Changes Not Confirmed by the Council of the European Union
As of October 2020, the decision to end seasonal clock changes has not been confirmed by the Council of the European Union, with progress on the issue effectively blocked.
2021: Conflicting Poll Results on Permanent DST Preference
In 2021, the National Sleep Foundation, YouGov, CBS, and Monmouth University indicated more Americans would prefer permanent DST, while an Associated Press survey indicated more Americans would prefer permanent Standard Time.
2021: Implementation Deferral of Ending Seasonal Clock Changes
In March 2019, the European Parliament deferred implementation from 2019 until 2021 of the European Commission's proposal to end seasonal clock changes.
2022: Sunshine Protection Act Passed by US Senate
In 2022, Marco Rubio's "Sunshine Protection Act" passed the United States Senate without committee review, but was stopped in the US House due to questions about the benefits of permanent DST versus standard time.
2022: Orthodox Jewish Groups Oppose DST Extensions
In 2022, Orthodox Jewish groups opposed extensions to DST, as well as a bipartisan bill that would make DST permanent, arguing it would "interfere with the ability of members of our community to engage in congregational prayers and get to their places of work on time."
2022: Study Demonstrates Sleep Loss Affects Motivation to Help Others
In 2022, a publication of three replicating studies demonstrated that sleep loss affects the human motivation to help others and reduces altruistic giving compared to controls due to the transition to daylight saving time.
2022: Mexico Restores Permanent Standard Time
In late 2022, Mexico's clocks "fell back" for the last time, restoring permanent standard time.
2022: Polls Indicate Preference for Permanent DST
Surveys reported in 2022 by the National Sleep Foundation, YouGov, CBS, and Monmouth University indicate more Americans would prefer permanent DST.
