Set clocks ahead tonight

Don't forget to set clocks ahead before bedtime tonight. Daylight savings time officially begins at 2 a.m. Sunday.

According to the U.S. Naval Observatory web site, Daylight Time was first established by federal law in 1918 as part of the Standard Time Act. The railroads had earlier, in 1883, instituted time zones in the U.S. and Canada, but it took a few decades to be law.

Daylight Time was such a contentious idea that it was repealed in 1919, though time zones stayed in effect. Daylight time became a local matter until World War II when it was reestablished. After the war it again varied by state and locality. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 provided for standardized dates for the beginning of daylight time, but allowed for local exemptions.

During the "energy crises" years, Congress passed laws to make the start of daylight time earlier in the year. After those two years, the beginning reverted to the last Sunday in April. In 1986, a law was passed to permanently shift the starting date to the first Sunday of April. The end has not seen so much fluctuation. It has remained the last Sunday in October.

For further information the web site, see http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/daylight_time.html.