Century leap year

In the Gregorian calendar, a Century leap year is a year that is exactly divisible by 400 (and, thus, as with every other leap year, qualifies for the intercalation of February 29). The years 1600 and 2000, for example, were century leap years; the century years of 1700, 1800, and 1900 were not century leap years. The next century leap year will occur in 2400. Century leap years always start on a Saturday, and the February 29 intercalation of such years is always a Tuesday.

The century year "divisible by 400" rule of the Gregorian calendar was considered an improvement over the previously utilized Julian calendar which had provided for a leap year every four years; this practice resulted, over the centuries, in too many leap days being added to the calendar and placing it out of step with the astronomical seasons.

See also

• Common year
• Leap year
• Intercalation
• Gregorian calendar
• Calendar reform

External links

• An Introduction to Calendars courtesy of the United States Naval Observatory
• Frequently Asked Questions about Calendars
• History of Gregorian Calendar