2024 is finally here, and it's no ordinary year — it's a leap year. But what are leap years? Why do we need them? And how did they come about?
Leap years are years with 366 calendar days instead of the normal 365. They happen every fourth year in the Gregorian calendar — the calendar used by the majority of the world. The extra day, known as a leap day, is Feb. 29, which does not exist in non-leap years. Every year that is divisible by four, such as 2020 and 2024, is a leap year except for some centenary years, or years that end in 00, such as 1900. (We'll explain why further down.)
