November 18, 1883 — American railroads adopt standard time
At noon, the railroads divided the country into the standardized time zones we still use, replacing a chaos of hundreds of local "sun times" that made scheduling a nightmare. It wasn't federal law yet — the railroads simply agreed to it — but the whole country reset its clocks to match.
Common Questions About November 18
What happened on November 18 in American history?
In 1883: American railroads adopt standard time. At noon, the railroads divided the country into the standardized time zones we still use, replacing a chaos of hundreds of local "sun times" that made scheduling a nightmare.
Why is November 18 significant?
At noon, the railroads divided the country into the standardized time zones we still use, replacing a chaos of hundreds of local "sun times" that made scheduling a nightmare. It wasn't federal law yet — the railroads simply agreed to it — but the whole country reset its clocks to match.
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