THE HISTORY OF DAYLIGHT-SAVING TIME

Prior to the 1880s, each U.S. city kept the local or sun time of its own meridian.

In 1883, the railroads adopted a standard system of time of the United States and Canada.

The following year, a worldwide system of standard time was agreed upon, establishing the prime meridian at Greenwich, England.

Great Britain first adopted daylight-saving time during WWI for economic reasons. The United States followed suit in 1918, trying to save the fuel needed to run lights in the evening. After the war, many U.S. cities kept using daylight-saving time.

Nationwide, it was used atain to reduce evening use of electricity during WWII.

In 1967, Congress standardized daylight-saving time, starting it the last Sunday in April and ending the last Sunday in October.

During the fuel shortages of the mid-1970's, the length of daylight-saving time was extended.

In 1986, Congress moved the starting date back to the first Sunday in April.

Though it began as an energy-saving program, daylight-saving time now is viewed primarily as a boon to recreation.