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February 27, 2025 22 mins

 


Leap years help keep our calendars in sync with Earth's orbit, but have you ever wondered why we need them?

 

In this episode, we explore the history of leap years, covering early human calendars, Julius Caesar's reforms, and the adjustments introduced by Pope Gregory XIII.

 
  • Why do we need leap years?
  • Earth's orbit and the solar year explained
  • How the first calendars were created
  • Egyptian and Roman calendar systems
  • The Julian calendar's introduction of leap years
  • Inaccuracies in Caesar's calendar calculations
  • The Gregorian calendar and its leap-year rule
  • Challenges in adopting the Gregorian calendar
  • Alternative calendar systems proposed over time
  • The impossibility of changing Earth's orbit for an exact year

Full interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/science-leap-years

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Keywords: Learn English, vocabulary, lessons, idioms, aprende inglés, idiomas, aprender inglês, apprendre l'anglais, imparare l’inglese, ingilizce öğren,英語を習う, تعلم الإنجليزية

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