Fast Facts About Leap Year
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Feb. 29 is a special day -- it only makes it onto calendar once every four years. Here are some things you may not know about leap years.
- Although a year is 365 days long, it actually takes the Earth 365 and one-quarter days to travel around the sun. To balance things out, an extra day (Feb. 29) was added to the calendar every four years.
- According a tradition that dates back to 5th Century Ireland, women may propose marriage to men only in leap years. Legend has it that St. Brigid had complained to St. Patrick about how unfair it was for women to wait for men to propose, and they brokered the Leap Day deal.
- Anthony, Texas declared itself the Leap Year Capital of the World in 1988 and has since hosted a huge birthday parade and festival for those born on a Leap Day.
- The odds of being born on Feb. 29 are about 1 in 1,500. About 180,000 people across the U.S. celebrate their birthday on Leap Day. Those born on a Leap Day are referred to as "leaplings" or "leapers."
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
