Once every four years, February gets an additional 29th day. This rule came to us from Ancient Rome, from the times when Julius Caesar ruled the state. “Extra” days are needed so that the calendar year coincides with the actual astronomical one.

February 29 is the 60th day of the leap year according to the Gregorian calendar. The only day missing in a non-leap year generally occurs once every four years (except for the periods 1697-1703, 1797-1803, 1897-1903, since 1700, 1800 and 1900 were non-leap years). In 1930 and 1931 in the USSR, due to the introduction of the Soviet revolutionary calendar, it was February 29, although these years are not leap years.