The story of Daylight Saving Time is filled with myths, wartime necessity, and unintended consequences that continue to affect billions of people twice a year. While Benjamin Franklin is often credited with the idea, the truth is far more complex and interesting.
The real inventor of modern Daylight Saving Time was British builder William Willett. In 1905, while riding his horse early one morning, he noticed how many houses had their blinds drawn despite the bright sunlight. This inspired him to propose advancing clocks during summer months to make better use of daylight.
Willett spent years lobbying the British government, publishing pamphlets titled "The Waste of Daylight" and even getting a bill introduced in Parliament in 1908. However, his proposal was met with ridicule and resistance. Critics called it "Willett Time" mockingly, and the bill failed.
Tragically, Willett died in 1915, just one year before his idea was finally implemented—not for energy savings, but for war.
1916: Germany becomes first country to adopt DST during WWI
1916: Britain follows suit weeks later
1918: United States adopts DST during WWI
1919: Most countries abandon DST after the war
1942-1945: "War Time" returns during WWII
1966: US standardizes DST with Uniform Time Act
2007: US extends DST by 4 weeks
World War I changed everything. On April 30, 1916, Germany and Austria-Hungary became the first countries to implement Daylight Saving Time, hoping to conserve coal for the war effort. Britain followed on May 21, 1916, and eventually most of the warring nations adopted the practice.
The United States initially resisted, but entered the DST game in 1918 with the Standard Time Act. However, the law was so unpopular that it was repealed in 1919, just seven months after the war ended.
During World War II, the U.S. implemented "War Time" year-round from 1942 to 1945. Clocks were set one hour ahead for the entire duration, eliminating the twice-yearly changes we know today.
The post-war period created chaos. Different states, cities, and even counties could choose their own DST policies. This led to absurd situations:
• A 35-mile bus route in Ohio passed through seven time changes
• Twin cities on state borders had different times for half the year
• TV and radio schedules became nightmarishly complex
• Airlines couldn't create reliable timetables
The Uniform Time Act of 1966 finally standardized DST across the United States, though states could still opt out entirely (Arizona and Hawaii did).
But does DST actually save energy? The results are mixed and controversial:
Original theory: More daylight in the evening means less artificial lighting needed.
Modern reality: Air conditioning use often increases more than lighting decreases, especially in hot climates. Some studies show DST actually increases energy consumption.
The unintended consequences of DST are significant:
Health impacts: The biannual time changes disrupt circadian rhythms, leading to increased heart attacks, strokes, and accidents in the days following transitions.
Economic costs: Estimated at $434 million annually in the U.S. alone, from workplace injuries, decreased productivity, and health care costs.
Technology problems: Computer systems struggle with the time changes, leading to bugs and crashes. The 2007 DST extension in the U.S. required massive software updates.
Agricultural myth: Contrary to popular belief, farmers generally opposed DST because it disrupted their schedules with livestock and crop management.
Today, the movement to abolish DST is growing. The European Union voted to end the practice by 2021 (though implementation has been delayed). Several U.S. states have passed legislation to make DST permanent, pending federal approval.
Russia tried permanent DST from 2011-2014 but switched to permanent standard time after complaints about dark winter mornings. The experience showed that the choice between permanent DST and standard time matters significantly.
Some interesting DST facts:
• Most of the world doesn't observe DST—only about 70 countries do
• The candy industry lobbied to extend DST to include Halloween for more trick-or-treating daylight
• Golf courses see increased revenue during DST
• Crime rates typically drop during DST due to more daylight in evening hours
What started as William Willett's simple observation about wasted morning sunlight has become one of the most debated timekeeping practices in modern history. Whether DST survives the 21st century remains to be seen, but its century-long run has certainly proven that changing time is easier than changing minds about time.