The Tallest Tower on Earth, Finished on Leap Day
On February 29, 2012, construction of Tokyo's 634-meter Skytree officially finished — making it the tallest tower in the world, completed on a date that barely exists.
On February 29
The President Who Vanished on Leap Day
On February 29, 2004, Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide left the country aboard a U.S. military plane — a disputed departure that ended his presidency and reshaped Haiti's fate.
The Leap-Night Oscar That Made History
On February 29, 1940, Hattie McDaniel won Best Supporting Actress for Gone with the Wind — becoming the first Black performer ever to win an Academy Award, on a night she spent at a segregated table.