About the Holiday
Programmer's Day is celebrated on the 256th day of the year. This number was chosen because 256 (28) is the number of distinct values that can be represented with a single byte, a value well-known to programmers.
In a standard year, this falls on September 13th. during a leap year, it moves to September 12th.
Significance
This day is dedicated to the innovators who write the code that powers our modern lives. From the algorithms that guide our GPS to the software that runs our hospitals and financial systems, programmers are the unseen architects of the information society.
It's a time to acknowledge the creativity, logic, and problem-solving skills required to build and maintain the digital infrastructure we rely on daily.
Did You Know?
- The first computer bug was an actual moth found in the Harvard Mark II computer in 1947.
- The number 256 is also 100 in hexadecimal (base 16).
- Ada Lovelace is considered the first computer programmer for her work on Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine in the 1840s.