February 29th

February 29 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. If the ancient Mayans were correct, there are 296 days remaining until the end of time.

45 BCE Great Leap Forward? Julius Caesar adjusts 46 BCE, known as the Year of Confusion with its 445 days, by fixing 365 days and six hours as the length of a year, with one day intercalated every four years.

1288 Scotland establishes this day as one when a woman could propose marriage to a man. If he refused, he was required to pay a forfeit.

1940 For her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind, Hattie McDaniel becomes the first African American to win an Academy Award.

1960 Hugh Hefner opens the first of his Playboy clubs, in Chicago, USA.

1988 Svend Robinson becomes the first member of the Canadian House of Commons to come out as gay.

1860 Herman Hollerith, US statistician, businessman and inventor of the punch card

1956 Aileen Wuornos, gay US serial killer

1960 Richard Ramirez, convicted US "Night Stalker" serial killer.  Why are the bad guys so cute?

1972 Pedro Zamora, Cuban-born US reality tv personality/AIDS activist. . .and the good guys dead?

On your mark. . .

Get ready. . .

Set. . .

GO!  Happy 10th Birthday. . .1972 Antonio Sabàto Jr., US actor/model/product spokesperson 

1992 Earl Scheib, US car repainter, changes color for less than $29.95