Time Changes

In the U.S., Daylight Savings Time starts at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and reverts to standard time on the first Sunday in November. Each time zone across America changes respectively.

Did you know that Daylight Savings Time is called Summer Time in many countries? In the European Union, Summer Time begins at 1:00 a.m. Universal Time (Greenwich Mean Time) the last Sunday in March and ends at 1:00 the last Sunday in October. All time zones In the E.U. change simultaneously.

In 2018, approximately 70 countries utilized Daylight Saving Time in at least a portion of their country. Japan, India, and China are the only major industrialized countries which do not observe some form of daylight saving.

The main purpose of Daylight Saving Time or Summer Time is to make better use of daylight. This idea was first conceived by Benjamin Franklin during his sojourn as an American delegate in Paris. In 1784 Franklin wrote the essay, "An Economical Project,” in which he described the idea.  He was concerned with saving money by burning less oil in lamps and being more economically productive during daylight hours. 

Today many countries are debating the need for Daylight Savings Time.