Leap seconds

[Ronald G. Tolley]

>> 	1973 June 30 23:59:60
>> 	1973 June 30 23:59:61
> 
>     Positive leap seconds were inserted in all NBS broadcasts
>     at the end of June 30, 1972 and December 31, 1972 thru 1978.
> 
>     [ All years since 1978 have had leap seconds.  Bob]

A AP article out of  Washington  written in about May 1985  states  that
"that  [adding leap  seconds] was done twice in 1972 and once every year
since except 1980 and 1984."  The same article stated that the 1985 leap
second would be the last second in June.

>From the data which has gone around recently including the comment above,
I have constructed the following list of leap seconds:

 	 1) 1972 Jun 30 23:59:60  # NBS Special Publication #432
 	 2) 1972 Dec 31 23:59:60  # NBS Special Publication #432
 	 3) 1973 Dec 31 23:59:60  # NBS Special Publication #432
 	 4) 1974 Dec 31 23:59:60  # NBS Special Publication #432
 	 5) 1975 Dec 31 23:59:60  # NBS Special Publication #432
 	 6) 1976 Dec 31 23:59:60  # NBS Special Publication #432
 	 7) 1977 Dec 31 23:59:60  # NBS Special Publication #432
 	 8) 1978 Dec 31 23:59:60  # NBS Special Publication #432
 	 9) 1979 Dec 31 23:59:60  # June or December?
				  # AP Article no leap second in 1980
 	10) 1981 Dec 31 23:59:60  # June or December?
 	11) 1982 Dec 31 23:59:60  # June or December?
 	12) 1983 Dec 31 23:59:60  # June or December?
				  # AP Article no leap second in 1984
 	13) 1985 Jun 30 23:59:60  # AP Article
 	14) 1986 Dec 31 23:59:60  # June or December?
 	15) 1987 Dec 31 23:59:60  # June or December?

Is there a more complete or more correct list available?  (All this fuss
over a handful of seconds!)

The phase 'my clock is 14 seconds  slow' has been used  recently  and is
one off from the 15 leap  seconds  listed  above or the 17 leap  seconds
which would have been added had Bob's statement been correct.

Ron Tolley