Only 5 million people in the whole world have a birthday every four years, also known as a leap year birthday. Leap Days are to account for the Earth fully revolving around the sun roughly every 365.25 days. Despite the 0.00067% chance of having a birthday that lands on February 29th, there is one student at Charlottesville High School that has one. Tyler Milam is a sophomore here at CHS, and was happy to talk with KTR so we could hear a little bit more about this special birthday.
What is a leap year birthday? According to NASA, it actually takes 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds for the earth to orbit the sun. To account for the six extra hours, leap years are added for the difference. Every four years, the calendar will have 366 days, as it includes February 29th. 2024 was a leap year, and the next one will occur in 2028.
Tyler Milam was born on February 29th of 2008. This year he turned 16 years old, or 4 years old in leap years.
When asked about his rare birthday, Milam shared with KTR, “Every year I celebrate on March 1st, and it’s very cool having a leap year birthday. I chose to celebrate on March 1st because it’s the first day of the month, and it just sounds better. I’d rather celebrate then than on February 28th.”
Some people with leap year birthdays will have an extra-special celebration every four years, on their actual birthday. They might have a huge party, do something big or adventurous, or simply enjoy making the most out of the rare occasion.
“Sometimes we’ll do something special, this year I didn’t do much, I just went to practice.” said Milam, who is an avid player on the CHS Boys Lacrosse team.
“I would prefer having a birthday every year. Sometimes it’s kind of weird, I don’t know how to explain it, just some people don’t understand.” Milam shared with KTR, when asked if he would rather have a regular birthday or a leap year one.
How would you feel if you had a leap year birthday? Would you agree? Leap year birthdays present a unique aspect of timekeeping that attracts individuals and communities alike. Leap year babies tend to navigate a path that improves our understanding of time and identity. So let us appreciate those who celebrate on this rare occurring day, and continue to make their birthdays extra special!
