Leap Year / Leap Day Facts and Statistics for 2024
Last Updated on: January 8th, 2024
Here are a few of the most interesting Leap Year / Leap Day facts and statistics I was able to dig up in my internet travels. As always, be sure to check back in the future as I will be updating this post as new and updated stats become available.
What is Leap Year?
Leap Year is a calendar year that contains an extra day, February 29, to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical year. Leap Years occur every four years, with the exception of years divisible by 100, which are not Leap Years unless they are also divisible by 400.
The origin of Leap Year dates back to the ancient Roman calendar, which was based on a lunar cycle of 355 days. In order to keep the calendar in sync with the solar year, which is approximately 365.25 days long, an extra month was added to the calendar every few years.
In 45 BCE, Julius Caesar introduced a new calendar, called the Julian calendar, which included a Leap Year of 366 days every four years. The rule for Leap Year in the Julian calendar was simple: any year divisible by four was a Leap Year.
However, the Julian calendar was not perfect and over time, the calendar year began to drift out of sync with the astronomical year. This problem was addressed in 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII introduced a new calendar, called the Gregorian calendar, which is the calendar used today in most of the world.
The Gregorian calendar also includes a Leap Year of 366 days every four years, but with the exception of years divisible by 100 that are not divisible by 400. For example, the year 1900 was not a Leap Year, but the year 2000 was a Leap Year.
Leap Year has many traditions and superstitions associated with it. In some cultures, it is considered bad luck for a woman to propose marriage to a man, except on Leap Day. This tradition is thought to have originated in Ireland in the 5th century, when St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick that women had to wait too long for men to propose, and St. Patrick agreed to allow women to propose on Leap Day.
Which years are leap years?
Basically, every year that is a multiple of 4. The exception being centurial years that are not divisible by 400 (IE: 1700, 1800, 1900).
Why do we have leap year?
To synchronize the calendar year with the astronomical (solar) year. It actually takes the Earth 365.24219 days to orbit the Sun, so the additional fraction of a day adds up to a full day every four years.
Who created leap years?
Julius Caesar in 45 BC
Person that created the term ‘leap year’:
Pope Gregory XIII
When was Leap Day 2020?
Saturday, February 29, 2020
Number of people in the world that were born on a Leap Day:
Last updated 2/20/20
Odds of someone being born on a Leap Day:
Name for people that were born on a Leap Day:
Leaplings
Please note that some of these numbers are easier to find than others. Most of these fun facts come from internet reports and may not be official tallies. No information contained on DMR should be relied upon to make investment decisions. Basically, this is the best I can find and I don’t guarantee anything to be 100%.
