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February 29 facts for kids

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February 29 in recent years
{{{date}}} in recent years

February 29 is a special day that only comes around every four years! It's called a leap day. This extra day is added to the calendar to keep our clocks and seasons in sync. It's the 60th day of a leap year, with 306 days left until the end of the year.

February 29 is the very last day of February in a leap year. It also marks the end of meteorological winter in the Northern Hemisphere and the end of meteorological summer in the Southern Hemisphere during these special years.

In the Gregorian calendar, which most of the world uses, February 29 is added every four years. However, there's a trick! If a year can be divided by 100 but not by 400, it's not a leap year. For example, the year 1900 was not a leap year, but 2000 was. The older Julian calendar always adds February 29 every four years without any exceptions.

What Happened on February 29?

Early History (Before 1600)

  • 888 – Odo, a powerful count from Paris, became the king of West Francia (which is now France).
  • 1504 – The famous explorer Christopher Columbus used his knowledge of a lunar eclipse happening that night to convince the people of Jamaica to give him supplies. Pretty clever!

Later History (1601–1900)

  • 1644Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer, started his second big trip across the Pacific Ocean with three ships.
  • 1712 – In Sweden, something very unusual happened: February 29 was followed by February 30! This was part of a plan to change their calendar back to the Julian calendar.
  • 1796 – The Jay Treaty between the United States and Great Britain officially began. This agreement helped the two countries have peaceful trade for ten years.
  • 1892 – The city of St. Petersburg, Florida in the United States was officially created.

Modern Times (1901–Present)

Who Was Born on February 29?

Historical Figures (Before 1900)

Famous People (1901–Present)

Who Passed Away on February 29?

Historical Figures (Before 1900)

Famous People (1901–Present)

Holidays and Special Days

  • Rare Disease Day is celebrated on February 29 in leap years. It's a day to raise awareness for rare diseases. In other years, it's celebrated on February 28.
  • Bachelor's Day is a fun tradition in Ireland and the United Kingdom. On this day, women are traditionally allowed to propose marriage to men!

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: 29 de febrero para niños

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February 29 Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.