By: Nathan Bloechl — nathanb@977thebolt.com
Humboldt, Iowa — Pi Day. The celebration of the mathematical constant known as Pi, is often a day to celebrate with the confectionery treat of similar name.
However, for one Humboldt student, the day meant shattering a record.
Each Pi Day Humboldt High Schools gets the opportunity to compete for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in reciting the most numbers in the infinite number of pi.
Eric Wittrock, a freshman, well.. he blew the top off of the record.
Wittrock recited 403 consecutive numbers of pi from memory.
Four-hundred and three.
From memory.
How?! What?!
You read that correctly. Freshman Eric Wittrock recited, by memory, 403 numbers in pi.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he breaks his own record next year and each following year through his senior year” his mother Ann Wittrock said.
The world record for reciting pi is held by Lu Chao of China, who in 2005, recited 67, 890 digits of pi — pitting Wittrock only 67,487 away from the Guinness World Record Books.
Pi Day is March 14th of every year.