FAMILY NOW – Leap Year takes place every four years and extends the month of February by one day. Leap Day – Feb. 29 – occurs this year on a Thursday. The process of adding a day to the calendar every four years was designed to realign the clock and calendar more closely with how long it takes the Earth to rotate around the sun, which is slightly longer than the 365 days attributed to a year. If not for Leap Year, the seasons would slowly shift out of place.
Did you know?
It takes the Earth 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 45 seconds to circle once around the sun. Without leap years, we’d lose almost six hours every year. After a century, the calendar would be off by nearly 24 days.
Despite 2100, the next turn of the century, being divisible by four, it will not be a leap year. That’s because it is divisible by 100 but not 400, which means it will not be a leap year. This exception to the rule pertains to new century years.
Forbes reports that it’s likely the calendar will need to be changed again since the Earth’s rotation rate, the axial tilt orientation and the Earth’s orbital motion around the sun is not constant. Various effects, such as earthquakes and something called tidal braking, affect the passage of time.
Legend states that on Feb. 29, it is all right for a woman to propose to a man, a custom attributed to St. Bridget. Bridget complained to St. Patrick that some women had to wait too long for their suitors to pop the question. As the legend goes, Patrick supposedly provided women this day to propose to compensate.
Some cultures view Feb. 29 as an unlucky day. In Greece, couples are warned against planning weddings during leap years. In Italy, the phrase, “Anno biseto, anno funesto” (“leap year, doom year”) is uttered.Individuals who are born on Feb. 29 are known as leaplings or leapers.
Leap Day is not considered a legal day. Those who are leaplings have to choose Feb. 28 or March 1 for their official and legal birthdays.
Individuals who are paid fixed monthly incomes often work for free on Feb. 29 because their wages will not be calculated to include the extra day.
Guinness World Records indicates the only family it could verify as producing three consecutive generations born on leap days belongs to the Keoghs. The elder Patrick Anthony Keogh was born in 1940, his son Peter Eric was born in 1964, and his granddaughter Bethany in 1996.
Here’s a look at 29 well-known individuals who were born on Feb. 29.
1. Ja Rule: Hip-hop artist
2. Tyrese Haliburton: Athlete
3. Ferran Torres: Athlete
4. Joss Ackland: Actor
5. Tony Robbins: Motivational speaker
6. Pedro Sanchez: Spanish politician
7. Mark Foster: Rock singer
8. Jessie Usher: Actor
9. Peter Scanavino: Actor
10. Max Torina: Actor
11. Korede Bello: Pop singer
12. Khaled: Folk singer
13. Dinah Shore: Pop singer
14. Gioachino Rossini: Composer
15. Lena Gercke: Model
16. Jessica Long: Athlete
17. Majesty Rose: Pop singer
18. Antonio Sabato, Jr.: Actor
19. Bizzy: Rapper
20: Dennis Farina: Actor
21. Deelodoitall: Rapper
22. Joey Greco: Actor
23. Monte Kiffin: Football coach
24. Janvi Chheda: Television actress
25. Dave Williams: Singer
26. Lydia Jacoby: Athlete
27. Jimmy Dorsey: Jazz musician
28. Pepper Martin: Athlete
29. Masten Gregory: Race car driver
This story was featured on page 1 of the February 2024 edition of Family Now.
