WAIT! When Did Daylight Saving Time Change? (Utah, Nevada & California)

When Did Daylight Saving Time Change—and Why Are We Still Doing It?

Did you know that originally Daylight Saving Time (DST) was not liked by our ancestors even way back in 1918? Yea, they hated it too. In fact they tried to repeal it the very next year. Why we keep letting Congress decide things for us, without voting them all out if we don't like the decisions, is beyond me.

Daylight Saving Time—the twice-yearly clock-setting that feels like it should’ve been given up years ago, is happening this weekend. Sunday November 3rd 2024 at 2am we "'Fall Back" an hour.

I know how to say it correctly but rarely do, I still say Daylight SAVINGS Time, cause I like it better. Daylight Saving Time—the twice-yearly clock-setting that feels like it should’ve been given up years ago, is happening this weekend. Sunday November 3rd 2024 at 2am we "'Fall Back" an hour.

So, how did we end up here? Let’s go back to 1918 when the U.S. introduced DST through the Standard Time Act during World War I to save energy. People liked it about as much as we do today, and it was promptly repealed a year later. Fast forward to World War II, and “War Time” brought DST back as a patriotic duty. By 1966, Congress decided to make it a bit more official with the Uniform Time Act.

In 2007, the Energy Policy Act came along, extending DST by moving the start to March and the end to November. The idea? More daylight in the evening would cut down on energy usage, reduce crime, and let us squeeze in a bit more fun after work. Nice theory, but whether it actually saves anything is up for debate.

So, why are we still springing forward and falling back? Mostly because no one can agree on what to do instead. Some states want DST year-round, others want to scrap it entirely, but Congress has the final say. And until they make up their minds, we’ll keep resetting those clocks, twice a year, while wondering why we’re all still playing by rules set in the days of black-and-white newsreels and ration books.