Indiana Pi Bill Declared the Value of Pi as 3.2

In 1897, the Indiana Pi Bill declared the value of pi as 3.2, a nice, round, but wrong number. It passed the Indiana Assembly unanimously 67 to 0.

It almost became law if not for a math professor who happened to be in the Statehouse lobbying for Purdue University's budget appropriation. Professor Clarence A. Waldo managed to convince Indiana Senators that passing the bill would bring ridicule to the Indiana State Legislature. They postponed the bill indefinitely.


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