29 February - USA celebrates Digital Learning Day

 

Digital Learning Day is celebrated annually on the last Thursday of every February. This year, it takes place on February 29. This day is an ongoing initiative led by the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) to engage students and empower educators through the effective use of digital tools. In particular, the day seeks to highlight and recognize the forward-thinking educators who use technology in innovative ways to strengthen students’ learning experiences. For educators or prospective teachers looking to upskill or earn a degree, there are plenty of education scholarships available at Scholaroo.

29 February - Herman Hollerith birth anniversary

 

 

Herman Hollerith was born on 29 February 1860. He passed away on 17 November 1929.

Herman Hollerith was an American inventor and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the development of modern information processing. He is best known for inventing the punched card tabulating machine, which was a precursor to the modern computer.

Hollerith's invention emerged in the late 19th century when he was working for the United States Census Bureau. In 1884, he patented a mechanical tabulator that used punched cards to efficiently process and analyze data. The punched cards contained holes representing different data points, and the tabulating machine could read and process these cards, providing a systematic and faster way to handle large volumes of information.

In 1896, Hollerith founded the Tabulating Machine Company, which later merged with other companies to form the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) in 1911. CTR eventually became IBM (International Business Machines) in 1924.

Hollerith's inventions and the subsequent development of IBM marked a crucial step in the evolution of information technology, contributing to the foundation of modern data processing and computing systems. His punched card system was widely used in various applications beyond census data, including business, finance, and scientific research, for several decades.

29 February - Leap year

 

 

A leap year is a calendar year containing an extra day, February 29, to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical year. The Earth's orbit around the sun takes about 365.25 days, so to account for this extra fractional day, an additional day is added approximately every four years. This practice helps align the calendar with the seasons and prevents a drift in dates over time. Leap years follow a rule: a year is a leap year if it is divisible by 4, except for end-of-century years, which must be divisible by 400 to be a leap year. The extra day is inserted in the month of February.

01 March - Heroes' Day (Paraguay)

 

Paraguay observes Heroes' Day (Día de los Héroes) on March 1st. Heroes' Day commemorates the bravery and sacrifice of those who fought in the Paraguayan War (1864–1870), also known as the War of the Triple Alliance.

The War of the Triple Alliance involved Paraguay against a coalition of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. Paraguay suffered significant losses, including a large percentage of its population, during this conflict. Heroes' Day is a national holiday in Paraguay, and various ceremonies, events, and commemorations take place to honor and remember the heroes who fought for their country during the war.

 

29 February - USA celebrates National Toast Day

 

National Toast Day is celebrated on the last Thursday in February and this year, it takes place on February 29. It pays homage to a food that is oft-ignored but has an oh-so-important role to play when it comes to breakfast, brunch, or even snacking purposes.

National Toast Day was first observed in 2014, in the U.K. It was established by Tiptree World Bread Awards, with Brook Food, to celebrate the country’s love of toast and all the varieties of bread that can be used to make toast. Indeed, we’d go so far as to say that a love for toast is probably universal, as far as bread-consuming nations go, which is why its popularity has spread to the U.S. too. Our aim is to spread the word so that National Toast Day can be celebrated all around the world; after all, toast is something many of us may want to celebrate all day, every day!

29 February - Rare Disease Day

 

Rare Disease Day is an annual observance held on the last day of February each year. It was established to raise awareness about rare diseases and their impact on people's lives. The date, February 28th (or February 29th in leap years), was chosen because it's a rare day on the calendar.

The main objective of Rare Disease Day is to improve understanding among the general public, policymakers, researchers, and healthcare professionals about rare diseases and their impact on patients' lives. The day also aims to advocate for access to treatment and medical representation for those with rare diseases.

Various events, campaigns, and activities take place worldwide on Rare Disease Day to promote awareness and support for individuals and families affected by rare diseases. Many patient organizations, advocacy groups, and healthcare institutions participate in these efforts to shed light on the challenges faced by those living with rare conditions.

 

29 February - Rukmini Devi Arundale birth anniversary

Rukmini Devi Arundale (29 February 1904 – 24 February 1986) was an Indian theosophist, dancer and choreographer of the Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam, and an activist for animal rights and welfare.

She was the first woman in Indian history to be nominated a member of the Rajya Sabha. The most important revivalist of Bharatanatyam from its original 'sadhir' style prevalent amongst the temple dancers, the Devadasis, she also worked for the reestablishment of traditional Indian arts and crafts.

She espoused the cause of Bharata Natyam which was considered a vulgar art. She 'sanitised' and removed the inherent eroticism of Sadhir to make it palatable to Victorian British morality and Indian upper caste elites.

Rukmini Devi features in India Today's list of '100 People Who Shaped India'. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1956,[4] and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 1967.

29 February - Morarji Ranchhodji Desai born 29 February 1896

Morarji Ranchhodji Desai (29 February 1896 – 10 April 1995) was an Indian independence activist and served between 1977 and 1979 as the 4th Prime Minister of India and led the government formed by the Janata Party. During his long career in politics, he held many important posts in government such as Chief Minister of Bombay State, Home Minister, Finance Minister and 2nd Deputy Prime Minister of India.