February 9, 1942: The US puts Daylight Saving Time into effect. The purpose behind changing the clocks is to make more efficient use of the daylight hours. We move the hour of sunshine from morning to evening by moving the clocks ahead.
The advantages are twofold. The first one is obvious. It saves energy because less electricity is used in the evenings when most people are home. Approximately 25% of electricity use is for lighting and running small appliances and since it is light later into the evening, fewer lights are lit. The second advantage? There are fewer traffic accidents because more people are driving while it is still light.
The disadvantages are having to set your clocks twice a year. Getting used to the time change can also take a few days. The other major problem occurs when there is not a uniform move to DST by the entire world or even the country.
Benjamin Franklin was the first to propose moving the clocks to adjust to a more economical use of the daylight hours in 1784. It did not catch on. In 1907 a pamphlet entitled “Waste of Daylight” written by William Willett was published. Europe moved to Summer Time, another name for Daylight Saving Time in the 1910s, at which time it was optional in the US. In 1918, several time zones were established for the US. During the Second World War, the time was changed for conservation and called War Time. Arizona and Hawaii do not observe the time change even now.
“The only thing a golfer needs is more daylight.” – Ben Hogan
“I don’t mind going back to daylight saving time. With inflation, the hour will be the only thing I’ve saved all year.” – Victor Borge
“Time sneaks up on you like a windshield on a bug.” – unknown
“I once made love for an hour and fifteen minutes, but it was the night the clocks are set ahead.” – Garry Shandling
Also on this day, in 1964 The Ed Sullivan Show brought The Beatles to the US.









