Celebrating Pi Day to 1,500 Digits

A great pie is always worth taking time to savor.

So is reciting pi, the irrational number that is central to so much of mathematics.

Meet Vaughn Jett, a Duke University Hospital equipment distribution specialist with an incredible knack for memorizing for numbers.

His journey with pi memorization began on Pi Day 2015 (3.14.15) when he became fascinated by the idea of reciting its endless digits. In just a few months, he memorized 600 digits. Vaughn’s progress came in waves — taking breaks for years before adding more.

Now, 10 years later, Vaughn has reached an astounding 1,500 digits.

“I figured it’s a harmless hobby, and inexpensive,” Jett said. “And I’m the king of the unfinished project. Of course, I’ll never finish memorizing all of the digits, so I wouldn’t have to worry about accomplishing a task.”

The task usually takes him about 20-25 minutes to recite. We’ve sped it up, but we also checked his numbers!