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St. Mark's Clock Tower, Venice, Italy

St. Mark

St. Mark's Clock Tower, Venice, Italy (© scaliger/Getty Images)

The March of time

It's that time of year again—when clocks spring forward, stealing an hour of sleep but giving us longer evenings to enjoy. Daylight saving time (DST) starts today at 2 AM, reminding us that time, quite literally, waits for no one. The idea is simple: maximising daylight and reducing energy consumption by syncing our activities with the natural light cycle. This concept was popularised by Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century, though his suggestion to 'save candles' was more satirical than a serious proposal. Fast forward to the early 20th century, and many countries adopted DST to conserve fuel during wartime. Today, DST runs from March to November in around 70 countries, giving us eight months of extended evening light.
© scaliger/Getty Images