National Pi Day is celebrated to give the constant value some attention. Pi, represented by the Greek letter "π," symbolizes the ratio of a circumference of a circle to its diameter (3.14). March 14 is marked as The National Pi Day because the numerical value, 3.14, represents the day.

The most exciting fact about National Pi Day is that the day also happens to be the great German-born mathematician Albert Einstein’s birthday. Hence, the day is held in high regard by the mathematicians.

The history of National Pi Day:

The birth of Pi traces back to thusands of years ago when Archimedes of Syracuse, one of the greatest mathematicians of the ancient world, first calculated the value of this unit. However, it was first christened as "pi" in the year 1647 by English mathematician William Oughtred. The symbol was associated with it in 1737, following which its use became commonplace within the science community.

The National Pi Day was founded in 1988 by Larry Shaw at the San Francisco Exploratorium, where she worked as a physicist. In the first-ever large-scale celebration of the day, Shaw offered fruit pies and tea to everyone to help them bond better. Since then the day has come to be celebrated as National Pi Day.

How is National Pi Day celebrated?

In National Pi Day, fruit pies are made by the members of the science community and even thrown at each other as a fun gesture. The National Pi Day has become more of a pop culture phenomenon over the years, with people from all across the globe taking part in the activities, and eating pies to their heart’s content.

Some interesting facts about Pi: (Courtesy: policeresults.com)

  • The symbol of pi has been in use for 250 years.
  • The exact value of pi was never calculated, which is why we can never find the accurate area or circumference of a circle.
  • The Greek letter π is the first letter of the word periphery and perimeter. No wonder it represents ratio of a circle’s "periphery" to its diameter.
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