Today is...

Leap Day

Today is Leap Day! Julius Caesar (with help from his astronomer, Sosigenes) added Leap Years to the calendar in 45 BC. They discovered that there are actually 365.2425 days in a year and decided to compensate by adding one extra day to “Februarius” every four years. Under normal circumstances, a date that falls on a Tuesday one year will fall on a Wednesday the next year. However, in a Leap Year we “leap” over one day of the week, which is how this phenomenon got its name.

There are many traditions and superstitions associated with Leap Years and Leap Days. According to an Irish legend, women have the privilege of proposing marriage in a Leap Year, and any man that refuses must offer a gift in recompense. People born on a Leap Day are known as Leaplings or Leapers. Each country has to have a policy about when a February 29th birthday is legally observed in a non-Leap Year!

Leap Day comes around just once every four years, so take some time to celebrate this unique occasion! Share a free Leap Day eCard with friends and family, and watch out for surprise marriage proposals!

Today is also National Surf and Turf Day

February is Black History Month & Potato Lover's Month & National Weddings Month

mages and text courtesy of MyPunchbowl.com" -- http://www.mypunchbowl.com/

History for February 29 1860 - The first electric tabulating machine was invented by Herman Hollerith. 1904 - In Washington, DC, a seven-man commission was created to hasten the construction of the Panama Canal. 1940 - Hattie McDaniel became the first black person to win an Oscar. She won Best Supporting Actress award for her role as Mammy in "Gone with the Wind." 1952 - In New York City, four signs were installed at 44th Street and Broadway in Times Square that told pedestrians when to walk. 1972 - John Lennon's U.S. immigration visa expired. It was the beginning of a 3 1/2 year fight for Lennon to stay in the U.S. 1980 - Buddy Holly's glasses and the Big Bopper's wristwatch were found in old police files by the Mason City Sheriff. The items were worn by the men when their plane crashed of February 3, 1959. _________________________________________________________ "The test of pleasure is the memory it leaves behind." --Jean Paul Richter