Albert Einstein was born on March 14 or 3.14, which are the first three numbers of Pi. Einstein was a Princeton resident for 20 years, where he worked at the Institute for Advanced Studies. This town also hosts the prestigious Princeton University. Needless to say, it’s an area of very intelligent people. So when Mimi better known as @PrincetonTour on Twitter invited me to the first annual Pi Day in Princeton, being the geek that I am, I couldn’t say no.
Mimi of Princeton Tour Company
First I must add, the day before, Princeton was hit by a major “storm” with winds of 70 mph! It’s being called the hurricane without a name. Massive mature trees came down in all the wrong places, blocking roads, hitting homes and smashing cars. Torrential rains cause extensive flooding in areas. Power lines were done, leaving residents without power as I type. They didn’t let this catastrophe get them down. Princetonians came out in masses for this Pi Day event!
Things kicked off with a pie tasting contest. They looked delicious. Too bad I gave up sugar for Lent! Local Pastry shops, bakeries, and restaurants competed for the honor of being the best in one of nine categories. It even attracted New Jersey Congressman Rush Holt. Princeton Borough Mayor Mildred Trotman, Princeton Township Mayor Bernard Miller and the Princeton Public Library’s Director, Leslie Burger were amongst the judges.
“Albert Einstein” and “Robert Oppenheimer” of the Institute of Advanced Studies in Princeton, NJ
We all moved upstairs for the Pi recitation. A little boy named Garreth recited Pi to 107 places in the under 9 category, and Jon Crumiller recited it to 206 places in the over 16 category. He modestly told me that this wasn’t much compared to the lengths others can recall it, but I was proud of him none the less! I even tweeted the results live if you were following me on Twitter around 1:30 PM on Saturday.
Jon Crumiller – Winner of the Pi Recitation Contest
There were many more events like interactive lab experiments courtesy of the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, a pie throwing fundraiser, an Einstein look-alike contest, Princeton Tour Company’s $3.14 walking tours, and of course Einstein’s birthday was celebrated with a massive birthday cake! Who says Princeton geeks don’t know who to throw a party?
Looks like a fun-filled day! I’m sorry the weather prevented me from getting there and joining other geeks!
It was difficult getting around that day. All was well planned, not too long, and fun for all! Maybe next year you can see it live!