Dallas / Fort Worth Local News

FORT WORTH (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ― This Sunday we "spring forward" and enter Daylight Savings Time once again. Here are a few things you may not have known about our "extra" hour.

Ben Franklin was the first person to write and article about the benefit of Daylight Savings Time. He reasoned that by adding an hour in the summer months, the cost of lighting could be lessened. But it was not until World War I that the idea was adopted, first by England, France and Germany.

Then, on March 31, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson signed the law enacting the time change. Robert Garland of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was the leader in the introduction and passing of the bill.

In 2005, a new law, part of the 2005 energy bill, set new times for the beginning and ending of DST for the same basic reason Ben Franklin thought of the idea in the first place. By adding an hour of sunlight, we might be able to cut down on energy consumption.

Although the DST act was part of a federal law, it is not mandatory for anyone to observe the time change. However, if a state or community decides to incorporate the change, that entity must abide by the federal schedule.

There are still a few places that do not observe DST: Arizona, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, The Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Here's a story about "the most confusing place to tell time." Where would that be? Sorry, times up! It's Indiana. The Hoosier State has one geographic problem and, for years, many stubborn citizens. Let me explain.

First, Indiana is divided by two time zones, Eastern and Central. And until recently, some of the counties observed DST while others did not. It would have been possible, if you were in the right place, to literally look across the street and have a two hour time difference.

Under the old system, 77 of the 92 counties were in the Eastern Time zone and did not observe DST, except for the two counties near Cincinnati, Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky. The other 15 counties, near Chicago and Evansville, are in the Central Time zone, and they all observed DST. Confused yet?

Finally, after failing more than two dozen times, the DST bill squeaked through the Indiana legislature, and now everyone in Indiana is happy… right? Wrong. Telling time in Indiana is still a bit tricky. Now, 72 counties go by Eastern Daylight Time, but the original 15 counties that were in the Central Time zone have been joined by three new counties to observe CDT.

Of course, for years, and I hasten to say it may still be this way, Indiana was the only state to collect the state gas tax separately when you filled your car with gas. No wonder Hoosiers can be a little confused.

Speaking of time zones, they have not been around forever. Time zones are the product of train schedules. Until the advent of the railroads that transported people rather quickly, all time was calculated by solar time. When the sun was directly overhead, wherever you were located, that was noon. You can imagine how confusing a train schedule could become for anyone traveling from New York City to Chicago, let's say.

The rather ingenious idea for time zones was developed by a Canadian railroad engineer named Sir Sandford Fleming. He divided the world into 15 degree pieces, reasoning that the Earth rotates once every 24 hours and there are 360 degrees of longitude. So, 1/24 equals 15 degrees.

Like any new idea, time zones did not immediately catch on, but in 1884, when the Prime Meridian was set, the time zone concept was also accepted. But not until the Standard Time Act of 1918 were the time zones enacted into law.

What country has the most time zones?
Russia, with 11 – the United States has 9

What countries have the least?
China only has 1, though it should have 5 – India also only has 1

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