Significant Days and Their Origins Throughout the Year

Celebrated on January 1st, New Year's Day marks the start of the year in the Gregorian calendar. Its origin can be traced back to ancient Babylon, where festivities began with the first new moon after the vernal equinox.

International Women's Day, observed on March 8th, has origins in the early 1900s labor movements. It became a global day to celebrate women's achievements and advocate for gender equality after the United Nations adopted it in 1975.

Leap Years have one extra day, February 29th, to keep our calendar in alignment with Earth's revolutions around the Sun. The first known Leap Year was in 45 B.C., introduced by Julius Caesar in the Julian calendar.

First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day on April 22nd was founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson to promote ecology. It led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.

Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19th, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. It marks the day in 1865 when Union soldiers informed enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, that they were free, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Armistice Day marks the end of World War I and is commemorated on November 11th. At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the armistice with Germany went into effect, leading to the holiday's observance.

Boxing Day, celebrated on December 26th, has uncertain origins. Some believe it was when servants received gifts from their employers in 'Christmas boxes.' In the UK and other countries, it's now a public holiday often associated with sports and shopping.

In 1900, the Gregorian calendar skipped a leap year to correct a 10-day error from the Julian calendar, surprising many then.