The history of Daylight Saving Time — and why we still argue about it

Daylight saving time has been argued about since 1784 — when Benjamin Franklin sent a satirical letter to the Journal of Paris suggesting that Parisians could save candle wax by getting up earlier in summer. Franklin wasn't serious; the policy he was lampooning was already a political third rail. Two centuries later, we're still arguing.

For the current year's DST schedule, the DST calendar shows it. The rest of this post covers how we got here.

1784 — Franklin's joke

Benjamin Franklin, then American ambassador to France, published an anonymous letter in the Journal of Paris on April 26, 1784. The letter, framed as a serious proposal, suggested Parisians could save vast quantities of candle wax (then a significant household expense) by getting up earlier in summer to take advantage of natural light.

Franklin's "proposed" enforcement mechanisms — taxing window shutters, regulating candle sales, firing cannons at dawn — were absurd, signaling the satirical intent. But the underlying observation (people sleep through prime morning daylight in summer) became the seed for a real proposal more than a century later.

1895 — Hudson's serious proposal

George Hudson, a New Zealand entomologist, presented a serious DST proposal to the Wellington Philosophical Society in 1895. His motivation was personal: he collected insects after his day job and wanted more evening daylight.

Hudson proposed shifting clocks 2 hours forward in October and back in March. The proposal was discussed but not adopted in New Zealand for another 30 years.

1907 — Willett's campaign in Britain

William Willett, a British builder, became obsessed with DST after observing how many people slept through bright summer mornings. From 1907 until his death in 1915, he campaigned for shifting clocks 80 minutes (in 20-minute increments) over 4 weekends in spring.

Willett's pamphlet "The Waste of Daylight" (1907) proposed:
- April 21st (or thereabouts), advance clocks 20 minutes
- Same on April 28
- Same on May 5
- Same on May 12 (cumulative 80-minute shift)
- Reverse over 4 Sundays in September

Parliament debated the bill multiple times between 1909 and 1916. It was repeatedly defeated, mostly by farmer opposition.

1916 — Germany makes it real

The first actual implementation of DST happened on April 30, 1916, in Germany during World War I. The motivation was wartime energy conservation — saving coal that would otherwise be burned for evening lighting.

Britain followed three weeks later (May 21, 1916). Other European countries adopted within months. The US adopted in March 1918, also for wartime energy savings.

1918–1945 — on-and-off observance

After WWI ended, most countries abandoned DST. The US repealed federal DST in 1919 (over Woodrow Wilson's veto). Britain kept it.

WWII brought DST back across most of Europe and the US. The US used "War Time" (year-round DST) from 1942 to 1945. After the war, observance again became sporadic.

1966 — US Uniform Time Act

The US patchwork after WWII was chaotic. Different states observed DST or didn't. Within states, some cities did and others didn't. Bus and train schedules required calling each town to ask.

The Uniform Time Act of 1966 standardized: states either observe DST nationwide or skip entirely. The federal schedule was set: last Sunday of April to last Sunday of October. States could opt out (Hawaii and most of Arizona did) but couldn't have local exemptions.

1973–1975 — the energy crisis experiment

In response to the 1973 oil crisis, the US tried year-round DST as an emergency energy-saving measure. It started January 6, 1974. The experiment was unpopular — children walking to school in pre-dawn darkness was particularly criticized — and was modified in October 1974, ended in 1975.

This brief experiment is often cited in modern arguments for permanent DST: the practical issues that surfaced in 1974 are still relevant.

1996 — EU harmonization

The European Union harmonized DST schedules across all member states in 1996. From then on, EU countries shifted simultaneously on the last Sunday of March (forward) and last Sunday of October (back).

2005 — US extends DST

The US Energy Policy Act of 2005 extended DST by 4 weeks (starting in 2007). It now runs from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November. Total: about 8 months of the year are on DST in the US, only 4 months on standard time.

This created the gap with the EU schedule that exists today (US shifts 2-3 weeks before the EU in spring).

2010s — abolition movement gathers

Several countries abolished DST in the 2010s and 2020s:

- Russia abolished in 2011 (after a brief permanent-summer-time period)
- Brazil abolished in 2019
- Mexico abolished in 2022 for most of the country
- Iran abolished in 2022
- Egypt abolished, reinstated in 2023, abolished again in 2024

The European Parliament voted in 2018 to abolish biannual DST, leaving each member state to choose permanent winter or summer time. COVID and political coordination delays mean the EU still observes DST in 2026.

The US Sunshine Protection Act has passed the Senate twice (2022, 2024) but failed the House.

Why we still argue about DST

The core arguments haven't changed since Franklin's 1784 letter:

For DST:
- More evening daylight for recreation
- Some studies show modest energy savings
- Many people prefer summer-evening sun

Against DST:
- Sleep disruption (acute health effects after spring-forward)
- Software bugs and operational complexity
- Energy savings are disputed and small
- Children walking to school in pre-dawn darkness in winter (if year-round DST is adopted)
- Confuses scheduling, especially across regions with different rules

Permanent winter time vs permanent summer time is now the active debate. Health researchers and chronobiologists prefer permanent winter time (which keeps daylight aligned with circadian rhythm). Retail and recreation industries prefer permanent summer time (more evening light = more shopping/dining).

FAQ

Did Benjamin Franklin really invent DST?

No — he made a joke about it in 1784. The serious proposal came from George Hudson in 1895. The real implementation was Germany in 1916. Franklin's letter is often misattributed as "the origin" of DST.

Why did the US extend DST in 2007?

The 2005 Energy Policy Act cited energy savings (which subsequent analysis showed were minimal). Other factors: lobbying by retail and recreation industries that benefit from evening daylight, political momentum after 9/11 for "doing something."

Does DST really save energy?

The honest answer: maybe a tiny amount, maybe nothing. Studies vary. The original 1916 case (saving coal for evening lighting) is no longer dominant — modern lighting is much more efficient, and air conditioning loads have grown. Net effect is close to zero.

Why does the EU still observe DST after voting to abolish it?

Each member state needs to choose permanent winter or summer time, and they haven't agreed. COVID delayed coordination. The reform is stalled. Most observers expect it to happen eventually but the timeline is unclear.

Why is DST less common in Asia and Africa?

Lower latitudes mean less seasonal day-length variation. The benefit of DST shrinks. Most of Africa and most of Asia (especially closer to the equator) decided it's not worth the disruption.

Will the US ever go to permanent DST?

Politically possible but stalled. The Sunshine Protection Act has passed the Senate twice but the House hasn't acted. Several states have laws ready to go pending federal approval.

Bottom line

DST has a 240-year argument behind it — from Franklin's satire in 1784 to Germany's 1916 implementation to today's abolition debates. The core trade-offs (evening daylight vs morning darkness, modest energy savings vs sleep disruption, simplicity vs tradition) haven't changed.

For the current DST schedule for any country, the DST calendar has the dates and rules.