A portentous date like February 29, a leap day which comes around every four years, was even more portentous with a looming lunar eclipse. It was almost the eclipse of Columbus’ expedition too, as his crew was drastically low on supplies and the local population was refusing to provide more. But Columbus did not despair – it was not his first voyage, and he developed an understanding of the native superstitions. Ever the wise explorer, he took advantage of a coming eclipse to warn the natives that they risked provoking some higher powers — and those powers would remove the moon from the sky.On this day, February 29, 1504, the Jamaican natives surrounding Christopher Columbus witnessed, no doubt much to their horror, the coming true of his prediction, the eclipse of the moon. Early in the evening it rose, turned a blood-red color, and disappeared.

The natives promised Columbus anything for the return of the moon, and near the end of the 50-minute eclipse, to their relief, he relented. The moon safely back in the sky once more, Columbus was rewarded with generous portions of food and drink, and sailed again, saved by his almanac.