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
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Assembling the Smithsonian
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Union Square, Manhattan
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Ancient town of Sorano, Tuscany, Italy
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In praise of the old…the very old
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The Matterhorn reflected in Lake Stellisee at sunrise, Zermatt, Switzerland
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A midsummer twilight s dream
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Gentoo penguins in Antarctica
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Rainbow Mountain
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Antarctica Day
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A cutting-edge art gallery opens in Paris
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World Oceans Day
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Castle Square, Old Town, Warsaw, Poland
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A timeless view of the night sky
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Happy Halloween!
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International Lighthouse Weekend
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Apple trees in spring, Germany
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Chapel on the rock
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From Sputnik to extraterrestrial storms
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Santorini, Greece
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Happy Father s Day
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Do spirits haunt the Gardens of Versailles?
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Autumn in Central Park, New York
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Wedded Rocks, Japan
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Pegadung Rock, Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia
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Winter solstice
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American bison, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
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In the Red Sea for World Dolphin Day
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Is that a smile?
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World Dolphin Day
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Point Reyes National Seashore, California
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

