Pi Day is on March 14th, and any day that combines fun, education, and pie deserves to be celebrated! Pi, often known as the Greek letter "π" is a mathematical constant that denotes the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, which is about 3.14....15...9265359...(and so on and on till infinity). Not only that, but March 14th is also Albert Einstein's birthday, so it's nothing short of a mathematician's dream.
To learn about pi, we must travel back a few thousand years in time. Archimedes of Syracuse (287-212 BC), one of the leading mathematicians of the ancient world, was the first to determine the value of pi. Nonetheless, it was initially christened with the Greek letter as its name by William Oughtred in his works dating back to 1647, and it was later adopted by the scientific world when Leonhard Euler used the sign in 1737.
So how did Pi Day become a national phenomenon? In 1988, at the Exploratorium in San Francisco is where physicist Larry Shaw, a physicist at the institution, came up with the idea. He associated March 14 with the first three digits of pi (3.14), in order to create a special day to unite the Exploratorium workers, where he served fruit pies and tea to everyone beginning at 1:59 pm, the following three numbers of the value. Larry's daughter, Sara, pointed out that the auspicious date was also Albert Einstein's birthday, they began commemorating the great scientist's life.
The custom has continued and has become a pop culture phenomenon ever since. Math enthusiasts speak about math, hold get-togethers, and compete in pi recitals. Teachers organize scavenger hunts, pie bake sales, and even Pi Day workouts in order to increase students' interest in learning and practicing arithmetic.
Pi Day became an annual Exploratorium tradition that continues to this day, and it didn't take long for the concept to spread rapidly, peaking on March 12, 2009, when the United States Congress designated it a national holiday. People in the food marketing industry also enjoy getting involved, so keep a watch out for any discounts, promotions, and freebies on pies; it's going to be a particularly sweet day!
To learn about pi, we must travel back a few thousand years in time. Archimedes of Syracuse (287-212 BC), one of the leading mathematicians of the ancient world, was the first to determine the value of pi. Nonetheless, it was initially christened with the Greek letter as its name by William Oughtred in his works dating back to 1647, and it was later adopted by the scientific world when Leonhard Euler used the sign in 1737.
So how did Pi Day become a national phenomenon? In 1988, at the Exploratorium in San Francisco is where physicist Larry Shaw, a physicist at the institution, came up with the idea. He associated March 14 with the first three digits of pi (3.14), in order to create a special day to unite the Exploratorium workers, where he served fruit pies and tea to everyone beginning at 1:59 pm, the following three numbers of the value. Larry's daughter, Sara, pointed out that the auspicious date was also Albert Einstein's birthday, they began commemorating the great scientist's life.
The custom has continued and has become a pop culture phenomenon ever since. Math enthusiasts speak about math, hold get-togethers, and compete in pi recitals. Teachers organize scavenger hunts, pie bake sales, and even Pi Day workouts in order to increase students' interest in learning and practicing arithmetic.
Pi Day became an annual Exploratorium tradition that continues to this day, and it didn't take long for the concept to spread rapidly, peaking on March 12, 2009, when the United States Congress designated it a national holiday. People in the food marketing industry also enjoy getting involved, so keep a watch out for any discounts, promotions, and freebies on pies; it's going to be a particularly sweet day!
