February 29
February 29 — leap day — is the 60th day of a leap year. The Gregorian rule keeps it in years divisible by 4 (with century-year corrections), keeping the calendar synchronised with the solar tropical year. It occurs roughly every four years.
External references
Curated jump-off points to the major almanacs, encyclopaedias and primary sources for this date.
Astronomy
- Leap day exists to keep the average calendar year (365.2425 days) close to the tropical year (~365.2422 days).
Position in the year
Holidays & observances
- Bachelor's Day (folklore — women may propose to men)
- Rare Disease Day (held on the rarest day)
Events
A selection of widely-documented historical events that took place on this date. Years marked BCE follow standard astronomical convention.
1504 — Christopher Columbus, stranded in Jamaica, used a predicted lunar eclipse to terrify the local Arawak into resupplying his crew. ↗(522 years ago)more
Christopher Columbus was an Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed four Spanish transatlantic voyages in the name of the Catholic Monarchs, opening the way for the widespread European exploration and colonization of the Americas.
1692 — In Salem Village, Massachusetts, the first warrants were issued in the Salem witch trials. ↗(334 years ago)more
The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. More than 200 people were accused. Thirty people were found guilty, nineteen of whom were executed by hanging.
1940 — Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American to win an Academy Award, for Gone with the Wind. ↗(86 years ago)more
Hattie McDaniel was an American actress, singer-songwriter, and comedian. For her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind (1939), she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first African American to win an Oscar.
1960 — A magnitude-5.7 earthquake near Agadir, Morocco killed an estimated 12,000 people. ↗(66 years ago)more
The 1960 Agadir earthquake occurred on 29 February at 23:40:18 Western European Time near the city of Agadir, located in western Morocco on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. Despite the earthquake's moderate Mw scale magnitude of 5.8, its relatively shallow depth (15.0 km) resulted in strong surface shaking, with a maximum perceived intensity of X (Extreme...
Notable births
1792 — Gioachino Rossini, Italian composer. ↗(234 years ago)more
Gioachino Antonio Rossini was an Italian composer and conductor of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. While he gained most of his fame for his 39 operas, he also wrote many pieces of chamber music, piano, and some sacred music.
1916 — Dinah Shore, American singer and TV personality. ↗(110 years ago)more
Dinah Shore was an American singer, actress, television personality, author, and talk show host. Born in Winchester, Tennessee and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, she rose to prominence as a recording artist during the Big Band era.
Notable deaths
1604 — John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury. ↗(422 years ago)more
John Whitgift was an English clergyman and academic who served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1583 until his death in 1604. Noted for his hospitality, he was somewhat ostentatious in his habits, sometimes visiting Canterbury and other towns attended by a retinue of 800 horses. Whitgift's theological views were often controversial.
Numerical & calendrical curiosities
| Day-of-year (60) | 2^2 × 3 × 5 · composite (no) |
|---|---|
| Days remaining (306) | 2 × 3^2 × 17 |
| Date code DDMMYYYY | 29022026 · next palindrome year: 2092 |
| Sun declination | -8.29° (Cooper approximation) |
| Distance from solstice | 71 days |