St. Mark's Clock Tower, Venice, Italy
© scaliger/Getty Image
The March of time. Daylight saving time begins
It's the time of year again when clocks spring forward, stealing an hour of sleep but giving us longer evenings to enjoy. Daylight saving time (DST) starts today at 2 AM, except in Arizona and Hawaii, reminding us that time, quite literally, waits for no one. The idea is simple: maximizing daylight and reducing energy consumption by syncing our activities with the natural light cycle. This concept was popularized by Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century, though his suggestion to 'save candles' was more satirical than a serious proposal. Fast-forward to the early 20th century, when many countries adopted DST to conserve fuel during wartime. The US officially standardized it in 1966 with the Uniform Time Act. Today, DST runs from March to November in around 70 countries, giving eight months of extended evening light.
Minnesota State Capitol, St. Paul, Minnesota
Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Last rays of sun on a group of dunes, Sahara, Algeria
Depiction of deities from the Tomb of Tutankhamun at the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt
The December full moon seen through holiday lights
Astronomical clock, Lyon, France
Two persons wearing Carnival masks in Venice, Italy – Matthias Tunger/age fotostock ©
