Changes in daylight savings dates started in 2007. Here is information on U.S. time change dates, what states and countries participate in DST, and daylight savings time history.
When Is Daylight Savings?
Daylight Savings time begins each year at 2:00 A.M. on the second Sunday in March, with clocks moving ahead one hour. Standard time begins each year at 2:00 A.M. on the first Sunday in November, with clocks moving one hour back.
Prior to 2007, the DST change in the U.S. occurred in April and standard time resumed in October. The law extending daylight savings time by almost two months was signed into law by George W. Bush in 2005.
Daylight Saving Time Dates
Under the new law, daylight saving time beginning and ending dates in the United States are:
- 2010: March 14 and November 7
- 2011: March 13 and November 6
- 2012: March 11 and November 4
- 2013: March 10 and November 3
- 2014: March 9 and November 2
- 2015: March 8 and November 1
History of Daylight Savings Time
Most people assume that the origin of daylight savings time had something to do with farming, but that's not really true. According to California's Energy Commission, Congress enacted DST as a way to conserve U.S. resources during World War I and again during World War II.
Though it was not popular at first, by mid-20th century DST was being widely observed in the U.S. A law was passed fixing the time that DST would begin and end each year to avoid confusion. The Department of Transportation currently handles the laws dealing with time change and daylight savings.
Who Participates in DST?
Though the dates for clock change are fixed in the United States, the law doesn't say that everyone must observe fall daylight savings time. The states of Hawaii and Arizona, for instance, do not keep DST.
Worldwide, the continents of South America, Australia, most of Africa, and much of Asia do not participate in daylight savings time. Each country sets its own guidelines for if and when it observes time change. See this map for more detail on which countries do and don't observe DST.
Changing the clocks twice a year is sometimes hard to remember. Mark the dates for daylight saving 2010 on the calendar and don't forget to spring forward and fall back each March and November.
Source:
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) FAQ page
Jenny Evans - Jenny Evans is a freelance writer and editor specializing in parenting and the family. She is also the Mormonism Topic Editor for ...
