A little history: For those leap year babies who need someone to swear at…

2008 is a leap year.

	45 BC: Emperor Julius Caesar proclaims the last day of February as Leap Year Day, skipping it three out of four years. Back then, February 30th was the last day of the last month of the year, which is why he picked it.
	4 AD: Emperor Caesar Augustus corrects a counting error in Leap Years. He also gets the month of August named after him, and steals the last day of February so that August can have 31 days, just like Julius’ month. Now February has 29 days in Leap Years.
	1582: Pope Gregory XIII, moves the end of the year to December 31st, and makes century years leap years if they are divisible by 400. (So 2000 is a leap year, but 1900 was not.) He moved the end of the year back two months so that Easter would occur in the spring.

When do leap year babies actually celebrate their birthdays?

Some leap year birthdays.

1468 Paul III, last Renaissance pope, 1534-49

1468 Pope Paul III, Italian Clergyman

1896 Morarji Ranchhodji Desai – 6th Prime Minister of India from March 24, 1977 to July 15 1979. At 83, he was the oldest Prime Minister of India. (d. 1995)

1896 William A. Wellman – American Film Director, (first picture to win an Oscar (1928) “WINGS”) (d. 1975)

1904 Adolph Blaine Charles David Earl Frederick Gerald Hubert Irvin John Kenneth Lloyd Martin Nero Oliver Paul Quincy Randolph Sherman Thomas Uncas Victor William Xerxes Yancy Zeus Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenberdorft Sr., Germany; had a Christian name for every letter in the alphabet, shortened it to Mr Wolfe Plus 585 Sr. The world’s longest name officially used by a person.

1904 Rukmini Devi Arundale, Indian dancer and founder of Kalakshetra (d. 1986)

1984 Adam Sinclair, Indian Hockey player

• Ja Rule, rapper (February 29, 1976)
• Dennis Farina, Law & Order actor (February 29, 1944)
• Bryce Paup, former Bills & Packers linebacker (February 29, 1968)
• Anthony Robbins, motivational speaker (February 29, 1960)
• Sharon Dahlonega Raiford Bush, America’s first African-American weather reporter (February 29, 1952)
• Henrik Sundstorm, Swedish tennis star (February 29, 1964)

So if you are a cheerful leap year baby and want to celebrate it with a bang this year you may consider joining the world wide Leap Year birthday club in the leap year capital of the world.

Anyone born on February 29? When and how do you celebrate in non-leap years? Also if you know anyone that could be on this list email us