Pi Day

On 14th March, a very special number was celebrated – greater than 3.1408 and smaller than 3.14285.

 
Every year on 14th March, the number Pi is celebrated all over the world, as the constant that describes the relationship between circumference and diameter: 3.14 (well, roughly). The date of the celebration derives from the American English date convention (month/day): 3/14. 

And why did we join in on the celebration? Because Archimedes was the guy who first worked out a relatively close approximation to the value of Pi. And this summer, starting on 25th July to be exact, Future Lab Aachen will be staging “Archimedes’ Sandpit” on the Katschhof, where youngsters following in the footsteps of the brilliant ancient mathematician and engineer will build an absurd giant machine. Check it out in the Calendar… 

You might also be interested to know that the number Pi will be celebrated again, three days before “Archimedes’ Sandpit” gets started: on 22.7. – British English date convention this time (day/month) – because Archimedes divided 22 by 7 and arrived at the result of “roughly” 3.14.