Do You Know the Leap Year These Historical Events Happened?

By: Beth Hendricks
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Do You Know the Leap Year These Historical Events Happened?
Image: Wiki Commons by Harris & Ewing

About This Quiz

It's our first leap year since ... 2016! Did you miss it? Eh, chances are you probably wouldn't have given it a second thought ... until you got to Feb. 29 and realized it was still February and not March. It's OK; we hadn't given it much thought either.

The Gregorian calendar (that's the one most everyone on the planet follows today) determines leap years by the following criteria:

1. The year is evenly divisible by 4.
2. The year is not evenly divisible by 100.
3. Or, the year is not evenly divisible by 100, but is divisible by 400.

Confused? Does it help if we throw in the bit about needing leap years to help keep our calendar aligned with the Earth's revolution around the Sun? Yeah, we didn't think so.

Let's face it: Leap year? It's kind of weird. People born on Feb. 29 only have an "official" birthday once every four years. That can make a grown man of 28 really only 7 years old. Those of us who work salaried jobs give our companies an extra "free" day during a leap year. And, well, if you happen to be incarcerated serving a year's sentence during a leap year? Congrats, you get to serve one more day.

But, it is just one day and the year goes on. And, some pretty significant things have happened in those leap years. Do you think you can name these monumental events that happened in these 366-day years? Hop through these leap year trivia questions - let's go!



2 - Green Eggs and Ham
CBS
Do you know which year Dr. Seuss served up "Green Eggs and Ham?"
1992
1960
1880
1912
33 - Elvis Presley
Wiki Commons by Uncredited
The "King of Rock and Roll" released his self-titled debut album in one of these years. Which was it?
1936
1966
1956
1946
3 - Facebook
Delmaine Donson/E+/Getty Images
Everyone's minute-by-minute obsession - Facebook - got its start in which of these leap years?
2002
2004
2008
1996

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4 - War of 1812
Ryan Courson Photography/Moment Open/Getty Images
This conflict between the United States and Great Britain was so significant, it derived its name from the year it began. Can you finish the War of _________?
1812
1820
1944
1976
29 - Amelia Earhart
Wiki Commons by Smithsonian Institution
In this year, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to successfully fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. When did it happen?
1884
1816
1932
1982
5 - girl scouts
filmstudio/E+/Getty Images
"Be prepared" to find the leap year that the Girl Scouts of the United States organization was founded. When was it?
1808
1872
1912
1992

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6 - Ellis Island
Wiki Commons by Bain News Service, publisher
The first immigrants to America passed through the doors of Ellis Island in which of these years?
1932
1968
1804
1892
27 - Mr. Potato Head
Hasbro
The very first Mr. Potato Head, who went on to star in movies like "Toy Story," was sold in which of these years?
1928
1916
1952
1852
12 - pop tart
Wiki Commons by Scott Ehardt
Everyone's favorite toaster pastry, the Pop-Tart, was invented in which of these leap years?
1824
1964
1994
1844

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32 - Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr
Wiki Commons by From a painting by J. Mund
The most famous duel in America didn't happen on IG; it took place between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in which of these years?
1892
1804
1904
1952
13 - Apple computer garage
Chris Prouse via YouTube
Much has been made over Apple starting in a garage, but do you know what year it happened?
1996
1936
1976
1952
14 - Abraham Lincoln
Photo by Mike Kline (notkalvin)/Moment/Getty Images
Honest Abe: America's 16th president was elected during which of these leap years?
1860
1828
1924
1940

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15 - Nelson Mandela
Wiki Commons by South Africa The Good News / www.sagoodnews.co.za
Do you know what year anti-apartheid revolutionary Nelson Mandela was incarcerated?
1920
1962
1888
1990
16 - Barack Obama
Wiki Commons by Marco Schulze
History was made in this leap year when the first African-American president of the United States was elected. When did it happen?
2010
2002
2008
2012
17 - D-day
John Parrot/Stocktrek Images/Stocktrek Images/Getty Images
More than 156,000 American, British and Canadian troops stormed the beaches of Normandy on what has come to be known as "D-Day." What year did it happen?
1996
1944
1930
1888

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18 - Donald Trump inauguration
Wiki Commons by U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Gabriel Silva
The Republicans won the White House in this year when businessman Donald J. Trump was elected to office. Which leap year was it?
2010
2018
2016
2012
23 - National Park Service
avid_creative/E+/Getty Images
The National Parks Service, which manages our nation's parks and monuments, was created in which of these leap years?
1916
1888
2000
1968
1 - New Years Eve Times Square
Photo by Gesine Kelly/Moment Open/Getty Images
New Year's Eve's biggest party - in Times Square - has been going on for a long time, but do you know the year it started?
1812
1904
1984
2004

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19 - 1896 Olympics
Wiki Commons by Unknown
Can you guess which of these years gave us the first modern Summer Olympics?
1896
1948
1812
1924
20 - Miracle On Ice  Sochi 2014
Olympic via YouTube
"Do you believe in miracles?" The "Miracle on Ice" hockey game between the U.S. and Russian hockey teams took place which year?
2000
1980
1988
1992
10 - Ramstein air show disaster
Image Source/Image Source/Getty Images
Seventy people died during the Ramstein air show disaster when three aircraft collided and fell to the ground. What year did it happen?
1908
1988
2002
1840

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21 - Immaculate Reception
NFL
Franco Harris' "Immaculate Reception," one of the NFL's most iconic plays, happened during which of these football seasons?
1992
1982
1972
1962
22 - Geraldine Ferraro
Wiki Commons by Nancy Wong
Girl power! The first woman to run on a major political party's president ticket did so in which of these years?
1984
1992
1908
1868
24 - USS Cole
MC3 Kayla Jo Finley/U.S. Navy
An attack on the U.S. Navy destroyer, the USS Cole, happened during this Leap Year in Yemen. When was it?
1982
1948
2000
1836

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25 - Special Olympics 1968
Special Olympics via YouTube
The inaugural Special Olympics Games took place for the first time in Chicago in one of these leap years. Which is it?
1968
1880
1908
2000
26 - Centennial Olympic Park bombing
NBC
A movie about the Centennial Olympic Park bombing came out in 2019, but when did the actual event happen?
1996
1992
1982
1988
9 - Nazi Party
Wiki Commons by Unknown
Think hard! Do you know what year the Nazi party was formed in Germany?
1920
1820
1864
1956

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28 - Mall of America
Owen Franken/Corbis Documentary/Getty Images
The United States' largest shopping mall, the Mall of America in Minnesota, opened its doors in one of these leap years. Which was it?
1992
1956
1968
2002
11 - movie theater
Michael Blann/DigitalVision/Getty Images
"The Dark Knight Rises" was playing at an Aurora, Colorado, movie theater when a shooting that killed 12 people took place. When did it happen?
2012
2000
2008
1996
8 - Auschwitz
Wiki Commons by xiquinhosilva
It was a dark day in history when the first concentration camp at Auschwitz was established. What leap year did it happen?
1988
1914
1852
1940

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30 - telegraph
Wiki Commons by Zubro
The first telegraphic message - a Bible verse - was dispatched by Samuel Morse in this year. Which was it?
1844
1944
2004
1890
31 - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
duncan1890/DigitalVision Vectors/Getty Images
We first met Huck Finn in 1875, but Mark Twain published "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" a few years later. When did it happen?
1934
1928
1984
1884
7 - Custer Little Bighorn
Wiki Commons by Charles Marion Russell
Custer's Last Stand, also known as the Battle of Little Bighorn, took place in which of these leap years?
1800
1972
1876
1844

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34 - penicillin
NNehring/E+/Getty Images
A drug many of us have taken - penicillin - was discovered by Alexander Fleming in a leap year. Which one was it?
1882
1928
1948
1988
35 - Martin Luther King Jr
Wiki Commons by Dick DeMarsico
Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by James Earl Ray in April of this leap year. When did it happen?
1940
1956
1962
1968