February's extra day balances the calendar
By
Vanessa Miller (Contact)
Friday, February 29, 2008
Photo by Joshua Lawton
Sebastian Keller, 4, runs after a ball while playing with his sister, Alex Keller, 9, in the backyard of their Erie home Tuesday. Sebastian will be celebrating his first official birthday today, as he was born Feb. 29, 2004, the last Leap Day.
After more than eight decades, Paul Leinweber can finally get a beer.
"I will be legal now," joked Leinweber, who's celebrating his 21st birthday today -- at age 84.
In reality, Leinweber said, being a "Leap Day baby" hasn't kept him from living life like most people: The longtime Boulder County man got his driver's license on time, registered to vote without a problem, was allowed to serve in the military and, yes, legally purchased alcohol 63 years ago.
"But I think it's kind of unique," he said.
According to the Honor Society of Leap Day Babies, the chance of being born on Feb. 29 is about 1 in 1,461. There are about 200,000 people in the United States who celebrate their birthday on Leap Day and about 4 million in the world, according to the society.
Leinweber said his neighbors have invited him over today for a Leap Year-style birthday celebration. But, Leinweber said, he doesn't know if he'll be huffing and puffing out 84 candles, or just 21.
Today in Erie, Sebastian Keller finally will be blowing out candle No. 1.
Four years ago, at 8 pounds, 8 ounces, Sebastian showed up eight days late for his Feb. 21 due date. His mother, Marieke Keller, said she thought it would be funny if her baby was born on Leap Day.
"And lo and behold," she said, "he wanted to be special."
Sebastian has had a party for each of his first three years of life, Keller said, "But the big day itself is Friday."
The time it takes the Earth to rotate around the sun is 365.24219 days. But the typical calendar year is only 365 days, and before the advent of Leap Years, seasons would get progressively out of sync.
In 46 BC, Julius Caesar established the Julian calendar, with an average of 365.25 days in the year -- accomplished by adding one day every four years. Later, to keep the seasons from getting out of sync again, Pope Gregory XIII, in 1582, instituted the Gregorian calendar in which century years only are Leap Years if they are divisible by 400.
For example, 1700, 1800 and 1900 were not Leap Years, but 2000 was.
Source: National Maritime Museum
Sebastian's dad and sister are skipping work and school today to go bowling. Then, on Saturday, the family is hosting a big Spiderman bash at the Erie Recreation Center.
Keller said Sebastian "doesn't quite get" why this year is special.
"But the next time around, it will be kind of cool," she said.
It has been for Cole Chapleski, who can legally drive a car today — at age 4.
Cole, who's actually 16 today, said his fourth, eighth and 12th birthday blowouts were bigger than the rest. And, he said, he always has a go-to answer when teachers ask him to "share something unique about yourself."
But his friends have come up with clever ways to tease him — especially when girls are involved.
"Whenever I'm like, 'Oh, that girl is cute,' they'll say, 'Oh, she's way too old for you,'" Cole said.
Contact Camera Staff Writer Vanessa Miller at 303-473-1329 or millerv@dailycamera.com.