Leap Day 2024: Google has come up with yet another extremely creative doodle on the occasion of leap day, which happens to be today – February 29, 2024. The doodle shows a frog in a pond, leaping swiftly from the number 29. To its right and left, the numbers 1 and 28 appear on the right and left side of the frog, capturing the essence of the leap year transition. Alongside the doodle, Google shared a cheerful message, exclaiming, “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 last time Google came up with a doodle for leap day was in 2020.
What is a Leap Day?
Leap Day, also known as February 29th, is an additional day added to the calendar in leap years. A leap year happens approximately every four years. The purpose of adding Leap Day is to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical year, which is the time it takes for the Earth to complete its orbit around the Sun.
Without Leap Day, over time, the calendar would become misaligned with the seasons. Leap Day ensures that seasonal events, such as the equinoxes and solstices, occur at roughly the same time each year.
Alongside the whimsical Leap Day 2024 Doodle, Google shared some insights into the origin of Google Doodles. Over the decades, Google has curated over 5,000 Doodles. According to Google, the very first Doodle made its debut in 1998 as a simple way for Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin to inform users that they would be attending Burning Man.
