By Algebra 1 Class
So, “Happy Birthday to you” if today is your birthday, because February 29 only comes around once every 4 years. Not enough cake! Not enough ice cream, presents and candles to blow out!
Have you ever wondered if you were born in a leap year? You probably haven’t, unless your birthday is the 29th.
Every four years February has 29 days? What? Why is that? It’s because the earth’s rotation around the sun isn’t exactly 365 days. It’s exactly 365.25 days, so every 4 years we accumulate an extra day. We call those years Leap Year.
You know there’s a formula, or at least a pattern, for almost everything right? That’s the way our world goes. Same with Leap Years.
If a year is divisible by 4, it’s probably a leap year. If it’s also divisible by 100, it must be divisible by 400. So 2000 is a leap year, but 1900 is not.
So….when were you born? Maybe 2010? Was that a leap year? Is 2010 divisible by 4? No! So it’s not a leap year. Suppose you were born in 2008. Was that a Leap Year? Is it divisible by 4? Yes!
Enjoy the day! It’ll be four years until the next leap year!
Real Math In A Minute 