March 10, 2023
Beginning in March, much of the U.S. prepares for clocks to “jump forward”—better known as Daylight Saving Time, or DST. It’s that time of year when your oven clock, as well as the watch you wear on special occasions, needs to be manually adjusted. Not every part of the U.S. switches on the second Sunday in March—except for the Navajo Nation, most of Arizona doesn’t, and neither do Hawaii and some U.S. territories. Many other countries in the northern hemisphere follow this ritual, which includes switching back to standard time in the fall.
Benjamin Franklin had suggested Daylight Saving Time as a cost-saving measure, and Daylight Saving Time was eventually created to extend the duration of daylight in the summer. The practice was first practiced in the United States and Europe to save on energy costs during World War I and was revived during World War II. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 established a uniform daylight saving time system in the United States.
Every once in a while, someone talks about making the annual “spring forward” permanent. The country briefly experimented with permanent daylight saving time during the energy crisis of the 1970s. Since then, numerous studies have been conducted on the health and safety implications of permanent daylight saving time. Some US politicians are pushing for it again, recently reintroducing the 2023 Sunshine Protection Act in the Senate, although it is not expected to pass anytime soon.
Discover how permanent DST changes will affect your life.