Leaplings; those born on the 29th February, have met up ahead of their birthday.

The chances of being born on a leap day are one in 1,461, making the odds pretty slim. But, eight of these individuals have met with one another ahead of their birthday celebrations tomorrow.

Leapling Birthdays

Leap year day on February 29 occurs nearly every four years. However, leap day babies, (leaplings, leapers, or leapsters) still get to celebrate their birthday in common years. Some celebrate on February 28, some prefer March 1.

When and what is Leap Day?

However, many countries have laws defining which date a person born on February 29 comes of age in legal terms. For instance in New Zealand, the official birthday falls on February 28 in common years; in other countries like the United Kingdom, leap year babies have to wait until March 1.

Leap Year World Records

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the only verified example of a family producing three consecutive generations born on February 29 is that of the Keogh family. Peter Anthony was born in Ireland on a Leap Day in 1940, while his son, Peter Eric, was born in the UK on February 29, 1964. Peter Eric's daughter, Bethany Wealth, was also a Leap Day baby, born in the UK on February 29, 1996.

Leap Day Traditions and Superstitions

The Henriksen family from Andenes, Norway currently holds the official record for the most number of children born in one family on leap day. Karin Henriksen gave birth to three children on February 29; her daughter Heidi in 1960 and her sons Olav and Leif-Martin in 1964 and 1968.

Celebrity Born on Leap Day

1468 – Pope Paul III (d. 1549)

1792 – Gioacchino Rossini, Italian composer (William Tell, The Barber of Seville) (d. 1868)

1896 – Morarji Desai, former Indian prime minister (d. 1995)

1968 – Wendi Louise Peters, English television and theatre character actress

1916 – Dinah Shore, American singer (d. 1994)

1924 – Al Rosen, American baseball player

1924 – Carlos Humberto Romero, former president of El Salvador

1960 – Anthony (Tony) Robbins, American motivational speaker

1964 – Lyndon Byers, Canadian hockey player

1972 – Saul Stacey Williams, American singer, musician, poet, writer, and actor

1972 – Antonio Sabàto Jr, Italian-born actor

1976 – Ja Rule (real name Jeffrey Atkins), American rapper and actor

1980 – Chris Conley, American musician and songwriter/composer

Leap Days 2020 – 2032

Year February 29 – Day of the Week

2020 Saturday

2024 Thursday

2028 Tuesday

2032 Sunday