TAMPA, Fla. — It’s only here once every four years, which gave leap day kids an extra reason to celebrate on Thursday. Though some will tell you a February 29th birthday isn’t without its quirks.
If you played the “guess my age” game with Frank Bastone, you’d likely lose.
“32, or 8 in leap years,” said Bastone.
Born February 29th, 1992, Bastone’s birthday only shows up on the calendar every four years. He said he often gets asked when he celebrates his birthday on off years.
The answer: February 28th, not March 1st.
“As my parents stated early on, you were born on the last day of February, not the first day of March,” he said.
The birthday has come with some comical conflicts over the years.
“When I turned 18, I tried to buy an M-rated video game, and they wouldn’t sell it to me on the 28th because the 29th hadn’t technically happened yet,” said Bastone. “And then when I turned 21, I tried to order a drink from the local bar, and they wouldn’t serve it to me on the 28th because the 29th hadn’t technically happened yet.”
The odds are against you: there’s just a one in 1,461 chance of being born on a leap day.
Still, Bastone is in good company.
“8 pounds, five ounces, 20 and a half inches long,” said Tasha Ward.
Over at Tampa General Hospital, families welcomed newborns into the world this leap day too, like Ward’s daughter, Olivia Joan.
“I was supposed to be due on March 10th, but I have diabetes so they induced me today, and I came to the hospital at 5:30 this morning. She was here by 8:19 a.m.,” said Ward.
Baby Olivia rested easy on day one, and for mom, it was a cool coincidence, feeling lucky and filled with joy.
“It’s a leap year,” said Ward. “It happens every four years, so I think it was pretty cool.”
The next leap year will be in 2028.
