golfkat Travel Blog

Today, March 14, is pi day.  That is pi day, not (national) pie day, which is celebrated in January.  Pi day is observed on March 14, since the first three significant numbers, in decimal form, are 3, 1, and 4.  Was it the former professional and college basketball star, Jerry Lucas, who memorized pi out to hundreds of digits?

But it was the infamous, or famous physicist, Larry Shaw of the San Francisco Exploratorium who first popularized pi day back in 1988.  To celebrate, he, his staff, and numerous guests walked around in circles, then consumed some fruit pies.  To this day, pi day celebrations are still held.  I am sorry to miss yet another one today.

On March 12, 2009, even the U.S. Congress passed a resolution proclaiming March 14 as National Pi Day.  For some mathematics enthusiasts, the entire month of March is celebrated as pi month.  In the year 2015, Pi Day will have special significance on 3/14/15 at 9:26:53 a.m. and p.m., with the date and time representing the first 10 digits of π!!!!!

So, I encourage you to celebrate national pi day any way you wish.  You can throw a pie, hit someone in the face with a pie (like the Three Stooges), and discuss the greatness of pi.  Further, MIT has often mailed their acceptance letters to applicants on Pi Day.  And Princeton, N.J. celebrates National Pi Day and Albert Einstein’s birthday with a combined celebration.  Turns out Big Al lived in Princeton for twenty years while working at the Institute of Advanced Study.  The highlight appears to be an Einstein look-alike contest!!!!