Weather Tidbits: History of Daylight Saving Time

This edition of Weather Tidbits will be discussing the history behind daylight saving time. Switching between standard to daylight saving time and vice versa is an annual process that we are all familiar with. On the second Sunday of March, daylight saving time begins and clocks move an hour forward at 2am. Daylight saving time ends on the first Sunday of November at 2am, when clocks move an hour back, and we revert to standard time. The goal of daylight saving time is to save energy and make better use of daylight. The concept was thought of by New Zealand scientist George Vernon Hudson and British Builder William Willet. First, Hudson proposed a two-hour shift in 1895. In 1905, Willet suggested a 20-minute shift every Sunday in April. None came into fruition. But in 1916, a finalized 1-hour shift was decided on. This was first used by the UK, then by the US 2 years later in 1918.