What happens if you are born on Leap Day?
People born on February 29th, known as 'Leaplings,' celebrate their actual birthday only once every 1,461 days.
The Earth takes about 365.25 days to orbit the Sun, so our calendar adds an extra day every four years to stay in sync with the seasons. This means February 29th only occurs once in a 1,461-day cycle. Roughly five million people worldwide are Leaplings, usually celebrating on February 28th or March 1st during common years.
Nerd Mode
The Gregorian calendar, introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, accounts for the solar year being approximately 365.2422 days long. To prevent the calendar from drifting out of alignment with the equinoxes, an extra day is added to February every four years. This four-year period consists of 1,461 total days, which is why Leaplings only see their specific birth date once in that timeframe.The math behind this involves the 'intercalary day.' Without this correction, the calendar would drift by about 24 days every century, eventually causing seasons to flip months. According to the Honor Society of Leap Year Day Babies, there are roughly 5 million people globally sharing this birthday. The odds of being born on February 29th are approximately 1 in 1,461, making it one of the rarest birthdays in existence.Legal recognition of birthdays for Leaplings varies by jurisdiction. In the United Kingdom and Hong Kong, a person born on February 29th legally reaches their next year of age on March 1st in common years. However, in New Zealand and Taiwan, the legal birthday for Leaplings during non-leap years is February 28th. These rules ensure that Leaplings can still obtain driver's licenses and reach legal adulthood on schedule.
Verified Fact
FP-0001855 · Feb 16, 2026