Why Leap Year?

Since a year on Earth is determined by the time it takes to travel around the Sun, it actually takes 365 days plus 6 hours. If we total up that extra six hours over four years, it equals 24 hours—a whole day.

So, calendar experts figure that adding the extra day every four years keeps us from drifting farther afield from familiar seasons at the same time every year—for example "losing/gaining time" until Spring starts in August.

Therefore, we add on that extra time travel in February. February in a leap year has 29 days instead of the usual 28—the year lasts 366 days instead of the usual 365.

Wikipedia says a person born on February 29 may be called a "leapling" or a "leaper." 

In common years, leapers may celebrate their birthdays on February 28 or March 1.

People born on this day, according to Wikipedia, include:

• 1792 Gioachino Rossini, Italian composer of The Barber of Seville
• 1904 Jimmy Dorsey, American bandleader
• 1916 Dinah Shore, American singer and actress
• 1976 Ja Rule, American rapper and actor

Also on this day in history, according to Wikipedia:

• 1940 Hattie McDaniel is the first black actor to win an Academy Award, for her role in the movie Gone with the Wind.
• 1960 Comic strip Family Circus makes its debut.
• 1972 Hank Aaron is the first player in the history of Major League Baseball to sign a $200,000 contract (considered huge.)

Trivia:

• In some countries, like Greece, it's considered unlucky to marry on Leap Day.
• In eras past, Leap Day and/or Leap Year meant women would ask men to marry them, instead of the reverse.