A leap second was added to the day since an actual day is just slightly longer than 24 hours. Due to measurements, it has been found that the Earth's rotation is slowing down every so slightly. Due to this phenomenon, one second will be added every 1000 days. But it is not quite that simple as events like earthquakes can actually speed up the rotation. Leap seconds so far have been added on at the end of the day on June 30th or December 31.
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