Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, April 4, 2004, at 2 a.m. This effectively moves an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening. The purpose is make better use of daylight hours.

Benjamin Franklin first came up with the idea in 1784. Daylight Saving Time was made official in the United States in 1918 but it was repealed in 1919 after the World War I ended though a few states and some cities including Chicago kept it going as a local option. From February 2,1942, to September 30,1945, President Roosevelt brought it back year round and it was called War Time.

From 1945 to 1966 localities were permitted to use Daylight Saving Time if they desired, and many did so. But this caused some difficulties with the transportation and radio, and TV business which had to publish varying schedules.

On January 4, 1974, President Nixon signed into law the Daylight Saving Time Energy Act of 1973. Clocks were set ahead for a 15 month period until April 27, 1975.

In 1986 a Federal law was amended to begin Daylight Saving Time on the first Sunday in April at 2 a.m. and ending at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday of October. It is NOT observed in Hawaii, the Eastern Time Zone portion of the State of Indiana, and by most of Arizona.. The rules vary significantly throughout the world. About 70 countries utilize Daylight Saving Time.

There are some good reasons to save those daylight hours.

The U.S. Department of Transportation performed a study which revealed that one more hour of daylight saves about 1% of the electrical usage throughout the country because 25% of the usage is done when the sun goes down. That is when we turn on the lights and fire up the TVs and computers. In addition, the study found that Americans just plain like the extra hour of daylight in the evening so they can lengthen their outdoor activities.

Some people complain about daylight savings time. People with sleep disorders, for example, can be severely affected. Other people simply do not like to go through the trouble of changing the clocks.

Love it or hate it, don't forget to push your clock ahead this weekend or you might find yourself late for Church on Sunday morning.