What jumps out about Leap Year

Where to leap

The town of Anthony, which straddles Texas and New Mexico, is the official Leap Year Capital of the World. Mary Ann Brown, a resident of Anthony whose birthday is Feb. 29, persuaded the governors of both states to declare it so in 1988. This year's Leap Year Capital of the World Festival, which includes a golf tournament and an optional trip to nearby Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino, began Thursday and runs through Sunday. Go to leapyearcapital.com for more info.

Why there are Leap Days

Leap days, technically known as intercalary days, are calendar corrections. Despite what you have been taught, there are not 365 days in a year. There are precisely 365.2425 days, which means we gain a day every four years. An exception: Century years cannot be leap years unless they are evenly divisible by 400.

Inventor of Leap Day

In 45 B.C., Emperor Julius Caesar added a Leap Day occurring every four years to the calendar he created. Until then, calendars were a mess.

Chances of being a leapling

There are 1,461 days in each four-year period, so the probability that a person is born on Feb. 29 is 1 in 1,461.

Guinness World Record leapers

Norway's Henriksen family has the most siblings born on Leap Day — Heidi (1960), Olav (1964) and Lief-Martin (1968).

Most generations of one family born on Leap Day — Peter Anthony Keogh was born in 1940 in Ireland. Son Peter Eric Keogh was born in 1964. Grandchild Bethany Wealth came along on Leap Day 1996.

— Newhouse News Service