Definition of the word standard time

The concept of "standard time" originated in the late 19th century, mainly due to the advancements in transportation and communication technologies. Prior to this, time zones were not standardized, and locals generally followed the natural variations in daylight. The first step towards standardizing time was taken by the 1884 Paris Conference, where 22 countries agreed to establish time zones based on longitudes. However, the issue of daylight savings time (DST) remained unresolved. The idea of DST was initially proposed by Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century but was ignored until World War I, when Germany implemented it to conserve resources during the conflict. Other countries followed suit, and the United States made DST permanent in 1966. The term "standard time" came into being in 1895 during a meeting of railroads' managers in the United States, who recognized the need for a consistent time system to facilitate train schedules. This meeting led to the establishment of four standard time zones in the US, with each zone varying by an hour from the previous one. The prevalence of standard time has increasingly become fundamental as countries interconnect, with international communication and commerce growing rapidly. Therefore, standard time zones remain an essential feature of our contemporary timekeeping system.