The celebration of this math phenomenon began in 1988, when Larry Shaw, a physicist and employee at the Exploratorium, a museum in San Fransico, decided to commemorate pi with its own day. The first three digits of pi are 3.14…, which initiated the date choice.
Until 2009, Pi Day was reserved for the math and science communities and did not get official recognition. Just days before the unofficial celebration, on March 12th, the United States House of Representatives passed a non-binding resolution that official designated March 14th, Pi Day, in order to encourage interest in math and science.
In the math and science communities, Pi Day is well received and celebrated. So much so that the day has incorporated the next digits in the mathematical constant. The very first Pi Day celebration took place at 1:59 p.m., as pi continues with …15926. In 2015, mathematicians, scientists, and institutions took Pi Day to the ultimate level, as the chronological order of the first five numbers in pi only happens every 100 years. To further make the day special, March 14th is also Albert Einstein’s birthday, a world-renowned theoretical physicist and founder of the mass-energy equivalence formula, E = mc2.
Illinois is home to many mathematicians, scientists, students, and instructors who all use pi regularly. From geometry and trigonometry to space engineering and architecture, pi is monumental to the modern world and affects even the simplest things like tires on your car. To show appreciation for pi and the advanced math done in Illinois, many cities, organizations, and classrooms include Pi Day in the annual holiday rotation.
One notable tradition to celebrate Pi Day is by baking and eating pies and pizza pies. Many bakeries and pizzerias take advantage of the holiday as it is both a play on words and pies are in the shape of a circle. Organizations, too, take part in the pie making tradition and have turned it into contests and even fundraisers. In schools, many teachers and instructors will challenge their students to memorize as many digits of pi as possible. In Chicago, annually the Pi Day Pi K takes place on Pi Day, where runners run 3.14 miles, which is only a bit longer than a 5k.
This Pi Day, take the time to appreciate all the things that need advanced math to operate. To celebrate Pi Day near you, check out the following Pi Day events and deals:Pizzeria Due in Chicago: 10” pizzas for $3.14
7-Eleven locations: Pizzas, quesadillas, and chicken tender boxes for $3.14
The Nasa Pi Day Challenge
Allerton Park in Monticello: Puzzles and Pie on Pi Day
Conservatory in Alton: Pi Day Show