Leap year 2024

Google marks ‘Leap Day’ with Doodle on February 29…

Google marked Leap Day 2024 with a special doodle released on Thursday, February 29, reaching audiences across the globe with its unique design.

Google's doodle for Leap Day 2024 features a frog adorned with the Leap Day date, situated between February 28 and March 1.

As the frog leaps, the leap day date disappears. The scene is set against a pond backdrop with stones and leaves, with the recognizable 'Google' subtly integrated into the background.

Additionally, the description accompanying this dynamic illustration reads, "Ribbiting news, it's Leap Day! Leap Day, February 29th, only occurs about every four years, to keep our calendars in alignment with the Earth and sun. Enjoy this bonus day of February — Happy Leap Day!"

The origin of leap years dates back over 2,000 years, aimed at aligning the standard Gregorian calendar with the solar calendar. This adjustment acknowledges the fact that the Earth takes slightly over 365 days to orbit the sun, approximately 365.2422 days precisely.

The Gregorian calendar, which is the most commonly used civil calendar globally, adds an extra day to each leap year, making it 366 days instead of 365.

This additional day, Leap Day, helps align the calendar with the slightly shorter astronomical year of about 365 days and 6 hours. The last Leap Day was in 2020, and the next one will be in 2028.

"Leap Year babies" will have a special chance to celebrate their birthday on February 29 this year, as it only happens every four years. This date can sometimes cause problems with paperwork and be the butt of jokes.

According to the Associated Press, about 5 million people worldwide share a Leap Day birthday, a tiny fraction, just 0.06 percent, of the world's population of 8 billion.