February 29 Birthday
February 29 exists only because the Earth's orbit takes 365.2422 days, and that fraction needs somewhere to go. Without leap years, the calendar would drift about 24 days every century. The Julian calendar added a leap day every four years, which over-corrected by 11 minutes per year. By 1582, the calendar was 10 days off, and the Gregorian reform fixed this by skipping 10 days and adding the century-rule: leap years are skipped on century years unless divisible by 400. People born on February 29 typically celebrate on February 28 or March 1, and some call themselves "leaplings.". People born on February 29 fall under the zodiac sign of Pisces. The birthstone is Amethyst and the birth flower is Violet. Historical events on February 29 include 1692: First warrants in Salem witch trials issued, 1940: Hattie McDaniel wins Oscar (first Black winner), 1960: Agadir earthquake kills 15,000. Famous people born on February 29 include Gioachino Rossini (1792), Dinah Shore (1916), Tony Robbins (1960).