With yesterday's time change, I thought today would be an appropriate opportunity to discuss some of the lesser known worldwide historical rationals behind Daylight Savings Time.
In the year 1895, a New Zealand entomologist, by the name George Hudson, proposed a modern daylight savings idea, with a two-hour time change.[1] His proposal was based on the idea that he would have more daylight to search for insects after work.[2]
In 1902, a British man named William Willet, was independently stuck with the same idea and prosed it to the English Parliament.[3] His concept was based on the idea that the nation can prevent wasting daylight.[4] Supporters of his proposal included Winston Churchill and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but ultimately, Parliament rejected the idea, at least initially.[5] By the way, William Willet was the great-great grandfather of Chris Martin of band Coldplay, genealogy abounds![6]
By 1916, Germany was searching for ways to conserve energy, they were two years into World War I and serious about ways to do so.[7] They recalled William Willet's plan to save daylight and they implemented it.[8]
Almost every country involved in World War I followed suit.[9] On the 9th of March, 1918, the United States, also began daylight saving time, by act of Congress. Additionally, it also created time zones with the Standard Time Act.[10]
What did your ancestors think of daylight savings when it first was enacted? Did it help them save energy? Coal for their homes? Help them get more daylight hours for work?
Where where they living when daylight saving time first began? Were they in the United States? England? Germany? Italy? Norway? France?
Let Awes of Inheritance: Family History Services know your responses. If you are not sure, we can help you find out.
In closing, I would like to say, genealogy does not happen in a vacuum. Our ancestors were affected by the historical and events that happened around them and economic events they lived through. We may be inconvenienced by daylight savings today, but it may have just been the reason, they were able to survive and why were are here today.
#awesofinheritance #awesofinhertancefamilyhistoryservices #daylightsavings #daylight #daylightsavingstime #USA #US #timechage #time #history #historical #worldwide #newzealand #georgehudson #entomologist #work #british #britshparliament #parliament #Englishparliament #english #preventwaste #winstonchurchill #sirarthurconandoyle #arthurconandoyle #williamwillet #coldplay #christmartin #greatgreatgrandfather #secondgreatgrandfather #genealogy #unitedstates #france #england #germany #WorldWarI #WWI #educate #learn #journey
[1] Erin Blakemore, "Daylight Savings Time 2019: The Odd History of Changing Our Clocks: Get the Facts About Springing Forward and Falling Back, a Tradition That Was Established in the U.S. in 1918," National Geographic (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/daylight-savings-time-arizona-florida-spring-forward-science?loggedin=true : accessed 15 March 2021), subsection "Thrift wasn't the only reason for savings day," para. 1.
[2] Erin Blakemore, "Daylight Savings Time 2019: The Odd History of Changing Our Clocks: Get the Facts About Springing Forward and Falling Back, a Tradition That Was Established in the U.S. in 1918," National Geographic (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/daylight-savings-time-arizona-florida-spring-forward-science?loggedin=true : accessed 15 March 2021), subsection "Thrift wasn't the only reason for savings day," para. 1.
[3] Erin Blakemore, "Daylight Savings Time 2019: The Odd History of Changing Our Clocks: Get the Facts About Springing Forward and Falling Back, a Tradition That Was Established in the U.S. in 1918," National Geographic (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/daylight-savings-time-arizona-florida-spring-forward-science?loggedin=true : accessed 15 March 2021), subsection "Thrift wasn't the only reason for savings day," para. 2.
[4] Erin Blakemore, "Daylight Savings Time 2019: The Odd History of Changing Our Clocks: Get the Facts About Springing Forward and Falling Back, a Tradition That Was Established in the U.S. in 1918," National Geographic (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/daylight-savings-time-arizona-florida-spring-forward-science?loggedin=true : accessed 15 March 2021), subsection "Thrift wasn't the only reason for savings day," para. 2.
[5] Erin Blakemore, "Daylight Savings Time 2019: The Odd History of Changing Our Clocks: Get the Facts About Springing Forward and Falling Back, a Tradition That Was Established in the U.S. in 1918," National Geographic (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/daylight-savings-time-arizona-florida-spring-forward-science?loggedin=true : accessed 15 March 2021), subsection "Thrift wasn't the only reason for savings day," para. 2.
[6] Erin Blakemore, "Daylight Savings Time 2019: The Odd History of Changing Our Clocks: Get the Facts About Springing Forward and Falling Back, a Tradition That Was Established in the U.S. in 1918," National Geographic (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/daylight-savings-time-arizona-florida-spring-forward-science?loggedin=true : accessed 15 March 2021), subsection "Thrift wasn't the only reason for savings day," para. 2.
[7] Erin Blakemore, "Daylight Savings Time 2019: The Odd History of Changing Our Clocks: Get the Facts About Springing Forward and Falling Back, a Tradition That Was Established in the U.S. in 1918," National Geographic (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/daylight-savings-time-arizona-florida-spring-forward-science?loggedin=true : accessed 15 March 2021), subsection "Thrift wasn't the only reason for savings day," para. 3.
[8] Erin Blakemore, "Daylight Savings Time 2019: The Odd History of Changing Our Clocks: Get the Facts About Springing Forward and Falling Back, a Tradition That Was Established in the U.S. in 1918," National Geographic (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/daylight-savings-time-arizona-florida-spring-forward-science?loggedin=true : accessed 15 March 2021), subsection "Thrift wasn't the only reason for savings day," para. 4.
[9] Erin Blakemore, "Daylight Savings Time 2019: The Odd History of Changing Our Clocks: Get the Facts About Springing Forward and Falling Back, a Tradition That Was Established in the U.S. in 1918," National Geographic (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/daylight-savings-time-arizona-florida-spring-forward-science?loggedin=true : accessed 15 March 2021), subsection "Thrift wasn't the only reason for savings day," para. 5.
[10] Erin Blakemore, "Daylight Savings Time 2019: The Odd History of Changing Our Clocks: Get the Facts About Springing Forward and Falling Back, a Tradition That Was Established in the U.S. in 1918," National Geographic (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/daylight-savings-time-arizona-florida-spring-forward-science?loggedin=true : accessed 15 March 2021), subsection "Thrift wasn't the only reason for savings day," para. 5.