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February 29, 2008
All about Leap Year and Leap Day
From Wired:
Feb. 29, 45 B.C.: Julius Caesar Takes the Leap
By Randy Alfred 02.29.08 | 12:00 AM
Great Caesar's ghost! Julius Caesar fixed the calendar for centuries to come.Continue reading the article at http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/02/dayintech_0229
Wa/Courtesy National Archaeological Museum, Naples 45 B.C.: Roman dictator-for-life Julius Caesar, alarmed that the calendar is growing out of whack with the seasons, adds an extra day to the month of February every four years.Caesar was reforming a calendar based on 364 days, with an occasional extra leap month. But the Roman religious officials in charge of minding the calendar had been asleep at the switch, chronologically speaking. Caesar consulted with Egypt's top astronomers, who told him the year was 365ΒΌ days long. While he was making the fix, Julius also decided to give his name to the month of July.
Although Caesar decreed the new calendar in 46 B.C., that year had 15 months to make up for the accumulated discrepancy. The first add-a-day leap year was 45 B.C.
From Leapzine.com Fun Facts and Trivia:
Leap Year Day Babies born in 1884 had no birthday during their entire teen-age years. Why? Because 1900 was not a Leap Year. In 1888 they were 4 at 1. In 1892 they were 8 at 2. In 1896 they were 12 at 3. Since 1900 was not a Leap Year, there were 8 years before they could celebrate again on February 29. So, in 1904 they were 20 at 5. Not one single teenage year was celebrated ON their birth date.Read more Leap Year/Leap Day Trivia
What Happened on Feb. 29th from http://www.mystro.com/feb29today.htm
1288 - Scotland established this day as one when a woman could propose marriage to a man! If he refused, he was required to pay a fine.
1940 - Hattie McDaniel was the first black person to win an Oscar. She won the Best Supporting Actress award for her role as Mammy in "Gone with the Wind". GWTW also won Best Picture, Best Actress for Vivien Leigh's performance and Best Director for Victor Fleming, Best Screenplay for Sidney Howard's writing plus awards for Color Cinematography, Interior Decoration and Film Editing. Other Oscar winners on this night were Best Actor, Robert Dunat in "Goodbye, Mr. Chips", and Best Supporting Actor, Thomas Mitchell in "Stagecoach".
Posted by d-nadler at February 29, 2008 03:44 PM