Happy Leap Day, everyone! This extra day in February comes around only once every four years. Here are a few fun facts about leap years thanks to BBC News.
1. One earth year is calculated to be 365.2422 days. Every four years, we bundle the four quarter days into one and get Feb. 29. However a quick formula makes up for how the extra quarter day isn't exactly a quarter and how we make up for it.
2. Christopher Columbus used leap day's lunar eclipse in 1504 to ward off the indigenous population in Jamaica. Columbus and his crew were stranded on the island for months when "relations with the indigenous population broke down and they refused to continue helping with food and provisions."
How did he save himself and his crew? By telling the native chiefs God would punish them by turning the moon red and would forgive them if they cooperated. They did so just as the moon began to show again.
3. One story has Queen Margaret of Scotland created a law that fined men who turned down proposals from women in leap years.
4. Are you a leap day baby? You have one in 1,461 chances to be born on a leap day.
What did you do with your extra day? Vote in our poll and tell us in the comments!
