1. What does Daylight Saving Time mean? Before you go to bed, set your clocks 1 hour ahead (don't worry about smartphones and other devices that will be updated). The result: by the clock, the sun will set 1 hour later and rise the next morning 1 hour later. The gain is more sunlight in the evening. In November, we'll set our clocks back an hour and return to Standard Time.
The 50-foot-tall Callahan Building Clock (circa 1919) once topped the Callahan Building in Dayton. From 1978 to 2006, it was on top of the Reynolds & Reynolds Building. Now it is on display at Carillon Historical Park. Here it is seen in the reflection of a car hood during the 2015 Concours d'Elegance. CONNIE POST/STAFF
2. Where did the idea for Daylight Saving Time come from? Benjamin Franklin is often credited for creating Daylight Saving Time, but that's not the case. The idea was proposed in 1895 by George Hudson in New Zealand. During the day, Hudson worked in the post office in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. He was also an entomologist and wanted to have more daylight after his work shift was over for catching insects. Hudson's insect collection is the largest in New Zealand and part of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.
3. When and where did Daylight Saving Time begin? The first country to implement Daylight Saving Time was Germany on April 30, 1916. World War I was going on, and the Germans thought they could more easily ration coal by shifting the clock in the summertime.
4. When did the United States adopt Daylight Saving Time? The U.S. first used it in 1918, but the following year Congress voted to overturn it. Local officials decided whether to observe Daylight Saving Time until Congress passed the Uniform Times Act in 1966 to standardize the time in a given time zone.
You will never enjoy looking at Halawa Bay on the Hawaiian island of Molokai during Daylight Saving Time because Hawaii is one of two states that stay on standard time. CONNIE POST/STAFF
5. Do all states observe Daylight Saving Time? Hawaii and Arizona do not; however, the Navajo Nation, which extends into Arizona (as well as New Mexico and Utah), does observe DST; however, the Hopi, whose territory in Arizona is landlocked by the Navajo Nation, does not observe DST.
Daylight Saving Time allows people to enjoy more sunlight during the evening, such as at RiverScape Metro Park. CONNIE POST/STAFF
6. What are the benefits of Daylight Saving Time? People who do shift work in the daytime enjoy more daylight after work to pursue their outdoor interests, as George Hudson did collecting insects. Does DST save on energy bills? In the 1970s, a U.S. Department of Transportation study concluded that the savings on electricity during DST was about 1 percent compared with standard time.
George Hudson, an entomologist in New Zealand, proposed Daylight Saving Time in 1895. He wanted more daylight after he got finished with his day job to catch insects for his collection. CONNIE POST/STAFF
7. What are the drawbacks of Daylight Saving Time? Several studies have shown an increase in traffic accidents and heart attacks in the days after the clock has been moved forward, linking those occurrences to lack of sleep. More than 87,000 Americans have signed a petition to Congress to abolish Daylight Saving Time.
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