Today in history 29

Here are some historical events that occurred on February 29th:

• 1504 - Christopher Columbus uses his knowledge of a lunar eclipse to convince Native Americans in Jamaica that he has the power of the gods.
• 1712 - The French establish a mission in Louisiana, which would later become the city of New Orleans.
• 1848 - The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed, ending the Mexican-American War and leading to the U.S. gaining control of a significant amount of land, including present-day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and parts of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming.
• 1912 - The 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified, allowing Congress to levy an income tax.
• 1940 - The United States and the United Kingdom sign the Lend-Lease Act, which allows the U.S. to provide military aid to countries fighting against the Axis powers.
• 1964 - The Beatles appear on the Ed Sullivan Show for the 14th time, breaking their own record for most appearances on the show.
• 1980 - The United States Olympic hockey team defeats Finland 4-2 to win the gold medal at the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York.
• 2004 - The European Union expands to include 10 new member states: Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

It's worth noting that February 29th is a leap day that occurs only in leap years, which are years that are divisible by 4.