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Some argue that the change reduces traffic accidents and crime rates, saves energy, improves business productivity. Jump directly to the content. Sign in. To enjoy Newsround at its best you will need to have JavaScript turned on. If you can't see this interactive story, click here. Thankfully most smart phones, computers, and other devices connected to the internet, normally update the time automatically.

But, if you have a watch or clock that isn't digital, don't forget to check if you need to manually reset the time. An American politician and inventor called Benjamin Franklin first came up with the idea while in Paris in He suggested that if people got up earlier, when it was lighter, then it would save on candles.

But it arrived in the UK after Coldplay singer Chris Martin's great-great-grandfather, a builder called William Willett, thought it was a good idea too. In , he published a leaflet called The Waste of Daylight, encouraging people to get out of bed earlier. Willett was a keen golfer and he got cross when his games would be cut short because the sun went down and there wasn't enough light to carry on playing.

The idea of moving the clocks forwards and backwards was discussed by the government in , but many people didn't like it so it wasn't made a law.

Willett spent his life trying to convince people that it was a good idea, but it was only introduced in the UK in - a year after he died. UK News. Quiz of The Week: 6 - 12 November. Quizzes and puzzles. The VP, GPs and refugees. The Bank of England official warning women against home working.

Behind the scenes. Popular articles. Insulate Britain: what the protesters want. The most extreme weather events of In pictures. Is Bosnia on brink of another war? In Depth. Keep track of time with our famous Shepherd Gate clock replica for your wall. The idea of summer time or daylight saving time was mentioned in by Benjamin Franklin, the American inventor, scientist and statesman. However, it wasn't until that a serious proposal for daylight saving time was made in Britain by William Willett.

Angry at the waste of daylight during summer mornings, he self-published a pamphlet called "The Waste of Daylight". The UK did the same a few weeks later, along with many other nations involved in the First World War Within a few years of its introduction, many countries across the world adopted Daylight Saving Time.

However, the benefits of it have been an ongoing debate since it was first introduced. During the winter, clocks were kept one hour in advance of GMT to increase productivity. With the war over, Britain returned to British Summer Time except for an experiment between and when the clocks went forward but were not put back.

The experiment was discontinued as it was found impossible to assess the advantages and disadvantages of British Summer Time. Campaigners have sought a return to British Double Summer Time or a permanent British Summer Time to save energy and increase the time available in the evenings.

Opponents pointed out that in the north it would create social disadvantages: for instance, in the far north-west of Scotland sunrise would occur at about 10am in winter, and over much of the north children would have to travel to and from school in darkness.

The British Summer Time Act was created in which started the tradition of changing the clocks in late March subject to the date of Easter and late October.