'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe

I was all set to guess that it would be the morning, when the 'lectric motors in factories all spool up at once, but that's actually a much cooler answer.

The only similar happening from the states I can think of is the "great flush". Immediately after the end of the last episode of MASH, city sewer systems around the country were overloaded, and in some cases damnaged by millions of people going to the bathroom at once, all across the country, having been holding it because they didn't want to miss the last bit of the last show.