Why are clocks set forward in the spring? Thank wars, confusion and a hunger for sunlight
By JAMIE STENGLE, Associated Press
Published: March 8, 2024, 2:10pm
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Don Bugh walks inside the historic clock tower atop the Dallas County Courthouse, Thursday, March 7, 2024, in Dallas. The mechanical clock built in 1890 requires hand lubrication and reseting twice a year with daylight savings time. (AP Photo/LM Otero)Photo Gallery
DALLAS (AP) — Once again, most Americans will set their clocks forward by one hour this weekend, losing perhaps a bit of sleep but gaining more glorious sunlight in the evenings as the days warm into summer.
Where did this all come from, though?
How we came to move the clock forward in the spring, and then push it back in the fall, is a tale that spans over more than a century — one that’s driven by two world wars, mass confusion at times and a human desire to bask in the sun for a long as possible.
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