On this date in history (October 15), the world experienced a time jump that erased ten full days from the calendar for millions of people.
In 1582 AD, citizens in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth went to bed on Thursday, October 4th.
When they woke up, it was Friday, October 15th. 🗓️
The days from October 5th to October 14th simply never happened for them. They were skipped entirely from the official record.
This was not an accident, but a deliberate act ordered by Pope Gregory XIII to fix a centuries-old problem with the calendar.
The old Julian calendar was slightly inaccurate, causing it to fall out of sync with the solar year. By the 16th century, the calendar was off by a full 10 days, affecting the timing of seasons.
This misalignment was a major concern for the Church, as it shifted the date of Easter further from its intended time. The reform was necessary to correct this drift. 🤔
The new system, named the Gregorian calendar after the Pope, dropped the ten days and introduced a more accurate rule for leap years. It's the same calendar most of the world follows today.
However, the adoption was not immediate everywhere. Many Protestant and Orthodox countries resisted what they saw as a Catholic imposition, continuing to use the old calendar for many years, which created confusion for international affairs.
Sources: Historical timelines, Papal Bull of Gregory XIII
