The Daily Bull wishes you a happy Leap Day

February 29th has such potential. It's a novelty: only rolling around every four years and masked behind some vague lunar mystery. Human nature dictates that we enshroud this date in some form of forced celebration every four years when we stumble across it. But why? It's just a scrap of leftover hours cobbled together out of calendarial necessity. It's not a momentous occasion. It's an excuse to squeeze 8 more hours of productivity out of the workforce without us noticing. No one interesting was born on a leap day, save maybe Joss Ackland. And the history of February 29th is anything but momentous.

• 1504 – Christopher Columbus uses his knowledge of a lunar eclipse that night to convince Native Americans to provide him with supplies.

Thus beginning a rich tradition that would span several centuries: tricking the American Indian through science manipulated to appear as sorcery.

Columbus: "hey why don't you deliver those supplies in February 29th"

Indians: "no such thing, there's only 28 days in February idiot"

[Indians confer, check calendar]

"Shit"

• 1712 – February 29 is followed by February 30 in Sweden, in a move to abolish the Swedish calendar for a return to the Old style.

I love this move. You wanna dick around with February and give it an extra day? Well we're gonna fly right on past 29 and into the muthascratching THIRTIES. This spirit of ingenuity is why you can buy a razor with five blades at your grocery store.

• 1892 – St. Petersburg, Florida is incorporated.

Truly a hallmark chapter in American history. The very first lower-mid-tier bowl game was played that very same year, sponsored by Hallbrook's Alligator Emporium, Bathing Costumes, & Sudsy Light Lager, LLC.

• 1916 – Tokelau is annexed by the United Kingdom.

Take your word for it, Wikipedia. Empire pickings were a little slim at the time.

• 1952 – The island of Heligoland is restored to German authority.

It's like LegoLand, but with bratwurst and hot-air balloons. And all the sharp-edged Legos were removed before giving it back.

• 1980 – Gordie Howe of the then Hartford Whalers makes NHL history as he scores his 800th goal.

This is quite a feat, as he began his career in 1906. His childhood mullet is enshrined in ice somewhere in Canada.

• 2008 – The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence decides to withdraw Prince Harry from a tour of Afghanistan "immediately" after a leak led to his deployment being reported by foreign media.

This was the last time you heard or read anything about Prince Harry because YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT KATE MIDDLETON IS WEARING.

There were real, actual good things that have happened on this day. Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American to win an Academy Award in 1940. Trade between the US and Britain was officially restored in 1796 following the Revolutionary War. But they are few and far between, a product of mathematical chance rather than historical import.

In short, make your own fun today. There's no precedent. Enjoy!