Happy Leap Day
Today is Leap Day.
Every four years, we add an extra day to the calendar. Has to do with… aw, hell, I don’t have the first clue why we do it, we just do. (NOTE: after a quick glance at the place to go for questionably accurate information on everyone and everything, Wikipedia, I have learned that the reason Leap Day exists is because a complete revolution around the sun actually takes 365 days and 6 hours, so to make up for that quarter of a day that results each year, we throw in an extra day every four years, to balance out the cosmos or something along that line. Now whether that’s actually the reason, or whether some idiot Wikipedia “contributor” made that up just to be a dick, I have no freakin’ idea.)
Anyway, I have long been intrigued by the people who happened to have been born on February 29th. The idea of actually being 16 on your fourth birthday has always made me wonder- do people born on February 29th actually consider their age to be the number of “actual” birthdays they’ve had? In that case, I’m sure there are some “17-year-olds” out there that look like hell, and probably feel just as bad. No matter, though- whether you’re celebrating your “12th” or your 48th, or your “1st” or your fourth, Happy Birthday to you.
Just for what it’s worth, and just to give me something with which to waste your time, here are some notable Leap Day babies.
- Pope Paul III (pope), 2-29-1468
- Jimmy Dorsey (bandleader), 2-29-1904
- Dinah Shore (singer/talk show host), 2-29-1916
- Joss Ackland (actor), 2-29-1928
- Alex Rocco (actor), 2-29-1936
- Dennis Farina (actor), 2-29-1944
- Richard Ramírez (serial killer a.k.a. the “Night Stalker”), 2-29-1960
- Ja Rule (rapper), 2-29-1976
And a couple of notable events that occured on Leap Days gone by:
- St. Petersburg, Florida is incorporated; 2-29-1892
- In South Carolina, the minimum age for factory, mill, and mine workers is raised from 12 to 14; 2-29-1916
- Hattie McDaniel (Gone with the Wind) becomes the first black person to win an Academy Award; 2-29-1940
- Dwight D. Eisenhower announces his bid for a second Presidential term (he won); 2-29-1956
- An earthquake in Morocco kills more than 3000 people; 2-29-1960
- Über-sappy comic strip “Family Circus” makes its debut; 2-29-1960
- Hank Aaron becomes the first player in MLB history to sign a $200,000 contract; 2-29-1972
- Gordie Howe makes NHL history by scoring his 800th goal; 2-29-1980
Anyway, enjoy your Leap Day. And if today happens to be your birthday, Happy Birthday.
6 Comments »
Leave a comment
-
Site meter
-
Last 100 Visitors to JDAB
Powered byIP2Location.com -
Tweeps I follow
Johann, I thought you weren’t a believer in the Wiki-guru. One thing that he apparently didn’t tell you is that the trip around the sun is actually a tad less than 365 days and 6 hours. As a result every 100 years (on years evenly divisible by 100) there is no leap year. The next time this happens will be in the year 2100. So when that time comes around for you, you will then remember why there won’t be a leap year day, ie., no 2/29/2100.
Now if you are really sharp, you will remember that there was a leap year day in 2000. So you’re probably saying that the Zebra doesn’t know what the hell he is talking about. Now hold on there Calendar breath. Every 400 years (on years which can be evenly divided by 400, ie., in the years 1600, 2000, and 2400, etc.) a leap year day is thrown in, making an exception to the exception. So instead of the trip around the sun being 365.25 days, it is really 365.2425 days, or 365 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes, & 12 seconds, if I did my math right. So I hope you have that all straight now. I know…you could probably care less
To add to your list of celebs that have leap day birthdays, my partner on the ball field, Bob Engel, is celebrating his 13th birthday today as he is now 52 years old.
First of all, Happy #13/52 to Bob.
Second, I am absolutely NOT a believer in Wikipedia.
Third, um… what?!
You dare doubt the veracity of Wikipedia? For shame.
Yeah, I know, the fleas of a thousand camels shall infest my armpits for such blasphemy. I do very cautiously reference Wikipedia at times, but I still can’t help doubting the veracity, if I may borrow your eloquence.
It almost seems like you can’t believe everything you read on the interweb. Go figure.
Can you believe the stupidity? A teacher was explaining Leap Day to her class, and when she was through, one kid asked, “Does that mean we go back a year, or forward a year?” To quote the waiter in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” I weep for the future.
Don’t get me started.