February 29
Overview
Holidays & Observances
As a Christianfeast day:
SaintJohn Cassian, February 29in the Orthodox church
Christian feast day honoring Saint John Cassian, observed on February 29 by Eastern Orthodox churches.
Rare Disease Day(in leap years; usually celebrated in common years on February 28)
Annual awareness day held on February 29 in leap years (February 28 in common years) to advocate for people living with rare diseases.
Bachelor's Day(IrelandandUnited Kingdom)
Leap year tradition in Ireland and the UK where women are culturally licensed to propose marriage on February 29.
SaintJohn Cassian
Feast day honoring Saint John Cassian, early 5th-century monk and spiritual writer, observed on February 29 in the Orthodox Church.
February 29in the Orthodox church
Events
Odo, count of Paris, is crowned king of West Francia (France) by Archbishop Walter of Sens at Compiègne.
In 888, Odo, Count of Paris, was crowned King of West Francia at Compiègne.
Christopher Columbus uses his knowledge of a lunar eclipse that night to convince Jamaican natives to provide him with supplies.
In 1504, Christopher Columbus used his knowledge of a lunar eclipse to pressure Jamaican natives into supplying his stranded crew.
Abel Tasman's second Pacific voyage begins as he leaves Batavia in command of three ships.
In 1644, Abel Tasman embarked on his second Pacific voyage from Batavia, commanding three ships in search of new lands.
In Queen Anne's War, French forces and Native Americans stage a raid on Deerfield, Massachusetts Bay Colony, killing 56 villagers and taking more than 100 captive.
During Queen Anne’s War in 1704, French and Native American forces raided Deerfield, Massachusetts, killing villagers and taking captives.
February 29 is followed by February 30 in Sweden, in a move to abolish the Swedish calendar for a return to the Julian calendar.
Sweden added a rare February 30 to its calendar on 1712 to switch back from its unique calendar to the Julian system.
Ulrika Eleonora, Queen of Sweden abdicates in favour of her husband, who becomes King Frederick I on March 24.
Queen Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden abdicated in favor of her husband, who became King Frederick I.
Polish nobles form the Bar Confederation.
In 1768, Polish nobles formed the Bar Confederation to oppose Russian influence and defend the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth’s autonomy.
The Jay Treaty between the United States and Great Britain comes into force, facilitating ten years of peaceful trade between the two nations.
The Jay Treaty between the United States and Great Britain went into effect in 1796, establishing a decade of peaceful trade.
St. Petersburg, Florida is incorporated.
St. Petersburg, Florida was officially incorporated as a city in 1892, laying the foundation for its future growth.
Births
The 221st pope of the Catholic Church who led the Church during the Counter-Reformation period.
Albert V
Duke of Bavaria who patronized the arts and sciences and ruled Bavaria during the mid-16th century.
Domingo Báñez
Spanish Dominican theologian known for his influential interpretations of Thomist doctrine in the late 16th century.
Edward Cecil
English soldier and nobleman who served as the first Viscount Wimbledon and led troops during the Dutch Revolt.
Antonio Neri
Florentine priest and pioneering glassmaker who authored the first comprehensive treatise on glassmaking.
Benjamin Keach
Particular Baptist preacher and author known for his hymns and the influential Keach's Catechism.
John Byrom
English poet and educator best known for inventing the Byrom shorthand system.
Eva Marie Veigel
Austrian-English dancer celebrated for her grace and long-running performances on the London stage.
Ann Lee
English-American religious leader and founder of the Shakers, known for her visions and communal religious communities.
Deaths
Pope Hilarius led the Catholic Church from 461 to 468 and was known for his strong stance against simony and dedication to ecclesiastical reform.
Oswald of Worcester
Oswald of Worcester was a 10th-century Anglo-Saxon archbishop and saint who championed monastic reforms and education in England.
Albert III
Albert III, known as Albert the Pious, was Duke of Bavaria-Munich from 1438 until his death in 1460, noted for his devout rule and efforts to stabilize his duchy.
Patrick Hamilton
Patrick Hamilton was a Scottish Protestant reformer and the first martyr of the Scottish Reformation, executed in 1528 for his Lutheran convictions.
Alessandro Striggio
Alessandro Striggio was an Italian Renaissance composer and diplomat celebrated for his magnificent multi-voice motets and service at European courts.
Caspar Hennenberger
Caspar Hennenberger was a German pastor, historian, and cartographer known for his pioneering maps and historical works on Prussia.
John Whitgift
John Whitgift served as Archbishop of Canterbury from 1583 to 1604, steering the Church of England through Elizabeth I's reign and opposing Puritan reforms.
Johann Conrad Peyer
Johann Conrad Peyer was a Swiss anatomist who first described the lymphoid nodules in the small intestine now known as Peyer's patches.
John Theophilus Desaguliers
John Theophilus Desaguliers was a pioneering natural philosopher and engineer who popularized Newtonian science in early 18th-century England.