Windsor

Meet a Windsor family with 3 leap-year babies

It's quite the special day in Windsor, Ont. today as three leap-year babies from the same family get to celebrate their birthdays on the date they were actually born.
Gil Burford, right, was born in Windsor, Feb. 29, 1924. His great niece, Trish Burford-Mactier, was born Feb. 29, 1972. (Burford Family)

It's quite the special day in Windsor, Ont. today as three leap-year babies from  the same family get to celebrate their birthdays on the date they were actually born.

  • Gil Burford was born in Windsor, Feb. 29, 1924.
  • His great-niece, Trish Burford-Mactier, was born Feb. 29, 1972.
  • Four years ago, Burford's great, great-niece, Moira Cool, was born Feb. 29.

They have been able to celebrate their actual birth dates on 23, 11 and one time, respectively.

Four years ago, Moira Cool was born Feb. 29. (Burford Family)

"I know this: they're rolling around a hell of a lot faster. I always wonder if I'm going to be around for the next one," said Burford, who turns 92 today and now lives in Dearborn, Mich.

The entire family gathered Saturday at the Windsor Yacht Club to celebrate the rare birthdays.

Burford said he couldn't put his feelings about the gathering into words.

"Even at 92, it makes me feel 42 when I'm among them," he said.

According to a post on the Guinness World Records website, since 1,461 days are in each four-year period, the probability that one person is born on Feb. 29 is one in 1,461.

The world record for "most generations born on leap day" is three.

"The only verified example of a family producing three consecutive generations born on 29 February is that of the Keogh's. Peter Anthony (Ireland) (b.1940), his son Peter Eric (UK) (b. 1964) and his grand-daughter Bethany Wealth (UK) (b. 1996) all celebrate their birthdays infrequently every four years," the Guinness site reads.

Burford wants a fourth in his family.

"It can be done. You just got to work a little harder at it and timing is everything," he said.

'Such a rare birthday to begin with'

Meanwhile, Burford-Mactier said no one in the family has ever crunched the numbers or bothered to ask about the odds of having three leap-year babies in a single family tree. She's just enjoyed it.

"It's been so fun sharing it with three other people in my family," she said.

"It's such a rare birthday to begin with. To have three of us in one family is amazing. It's a very close family. We're very fortunate to have such a great family. To have this to share with these amazing people means so much to me."