Historically distinct IANA time zone
Atlantic/Reykjavik
- Countries
- Iceland
- GPS reference
- 64.15° N, 21.85° W
- Data source
- IANA backzone
- Aliases
- None
- Rule groups
- Iceland
IcelandGeographic context
Where this clock belongs
The map marks the IANA reference location and associated country, not a time-zone boundary.
GPS reference: 64.15° N, 21.85° W. Associated countries: IS.
The Wikipedia link provides additional context; it is not evidence for a historical claim. Transition data comes from the IANA source file.
Notes from the time database
The story behind the clock
These source notes describe a period or rule. They do not, by themselves, establish a causal claim for a particular clock change.
Iceland The name of the timezone in Iceland for system / mail / news purposes is GMT. This material is paraphrased from the 1988 edition of the University of Iceland Almanak. From January 1st, 1908 the whole of Iceland was standardised at 1 hour behind GMT. Previously, local mean solar time was used in different parts of Iceland, the almanak had been based on Reykjavík mean solar time which was 1 hour and 28 minutes behind GMT. "first day of winter" referred to [below] means the first day of the 26 weeks of winter, according to the old icelandic calendar that dates back to the time the norsemen first settled Iceland. The first day of winter is always Saturday, but is not dependent on the Julian or Gregorian calendars. I have a reference from the Oxford Icelandic-English dictionary for the beginning of winter, which ties it to the ecclesiastical calendar (and thus to the julian/gregorian calendar) over the period in question. the winter begins on the Saturday next before St. Luke's day (old style), or on St. Luke's day, if a Saturday. St. Luke's day ought to be traceable from ecclesiastical sources. "old style" might be a reference to the Julian calendar as opposed to Gregorian, or it might mean something else (???). The information below is taken from the 1988 Almanak; see
Original IANA source file: backzone.
A shared present
Same clock today, different past
These nearby zones follow the same current annual pattern, yet retain their own historical record.
Greenland · 1407 km from the reference location · Same annual clock since 1997
Guinea-Bissau · 5836 km from the reference location · Same annual clock since 1976
Liberia · 6493 km from the reference location · Same annual clock since 1973Civil-time record
Recorded changes over time
From 1912 to 1912 · 1 recorded transitions
Recurring daylight-saving changes are grouped separately when JavaScript is available.
Notable changes
One-off changes and transitions outside the recurring seasonal rhythm.
- +00:00 · GMTStandard time applies
Browse every recorded transition
| Local time after transition | Offset after | Abbreviation | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1912-01-01 00:16 | +00:00 | GMT | Standard time |