-125 You understand what Leap Year is, but not why it happens, amirite?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_is_there_a_leap_year

by Anonymous 13 years ago

well i know now

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I think it's sad that so many people don't know it...

by Anonymous 13 years ago

If you understand what a leap year is, it's pretty self explanatory why it happens...

by Anonymous 13 years ago

each year = 365 1/4 days 365 1/4 + 365 1/4 + 365 1/4 + 365 1/4 = 1461 every four years those 1/4 days add to an extra day. 365 + 365 + 365 + 366 = 1461 *says the stereotyped American*

by Anonymous 13 years ago

was just gonna state that :P

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Actually, it's 365 days, 5 hours and 49 minutes.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

nice to know :P

by Anonymous 13 years ago

*approximately.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Wow. I've learnt something today. :)

by Anonymous 13 years ago

*also a stereotyped American* It's because every year is not exactly 365 days, it's actually 365 1/4 days. Instead of waiting the extra 6 hours to celebrate New Years, we let that 1/4 a day accumulate until it adds an extra day to every fourth year-- thus, leap year. So if you think about it, if we waited until 6 AM on January 1 to celebrate New Years, we wouldn't have leap years.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

*average stereotyped American* I don't know.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

@885820 (Anonymous): I was hoping someone would explain that through comment so I didn't have to log out and go to the link provided. (I'm on my phone so I can't just open another tab)

by Anonymous 13 years ago

The year is also only 365.242... years. Thus, every 100 years there is not a leap year (1900 wasn't), except every 400 years there is one anyways (2000 was).

by Anonymous 13 years ago

By understanding what Leap Year is, I meant that you know that it adds an extra day to February.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Fun Fact: Year 2200 and 1800 are not leap years.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Neither is 2011?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

They are both divisible by 4, but they aren't leap years!!

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Being obnoxious is fun. :D (Sorry.)

by Anonymous 13 years ago

I was kind of upset that I wouldn't have a birthday those years, then I realized I wont be alive.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Wait, you're born on February 29th? Yet you didn't know where a leap year came from?

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Yeah, I never really cared enough to find out.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Well, did your elementary school teacher give you a lolwut explanation?

by Anonymous 13 years ago