City history
Named after geothermal steam seen by Norse settlers, Reykjavík moved from local solar time to standard UTC-1 in 1907 and permanently adopted UTC+0 in 1968.
Chapter one
Earliest documented name
"Bay of Smoke"
Documented in medieval texts like Landnámabók, the name stems from reykur (steam) and vík (bay), describing geothermal steam seen by Norse settler Ingólfr Arnarson c. 874. No prior indigenous name is recorded.
Bay of Smoke / Smoky Bay
First recorded in Landnámabók when Norse pioneer Ingólfr Arnarson established his homestead near geothermal steam vents. The name became the official municipal title when Reykjavík received its trading town charter in 1786.
Chapter two
Following the 1906 arrival of the international submarine telegraph cable, the Althing enacted legislation on November 16, 1907, establishing UTC-1 as national standard time, replacing local mean solar time.
Iceland introduced daylight saving time during World War I on February 19, 1917, advancing clocks by one hour to UTC+0 until October 21, 1917, to conserve fuel and align with European partners.
On April 7, 1968, Iceland advanced clocks by one hour to UTC+00:00 (GMT) permanently and abolished seasonal time adjustments to stay continuously aligned with European commerce.
Chapter three
The completion of the first submarine telegraph cable connecting Scotland, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland created instant telecommunications, driving the immediate need for synchronized national timekeeping.
Publication of the official Icelandic Almanac was transferred to the University of Iceland, establishing academic oversight for astronomical calculations, solar position tables, and civil calendars.
Iceland officially designated Sumardagurinn Fyrsti (First Day of Summer) as a legal public holiday, formalizing the traditional Old Norse calendar that split the year into only two seasons.
The completion and consecration of Hallgrímskirkja provided Reykjavík with its most prominent public timepiece, featuring a 74.5-meter tower clock and a 29-bell carillon that chimes quarter-hours.