Leap year

Leap year

Leap Year (and Leap Day Birthdays): What to Know About Feb. 29. Yes, our driver’s licenses give our real birthday. No, you’re not the first person to joke that we’re too young to drink or drive. A Feb. 29 baby demystifies the quadrennial calendar quirk.

Leap years occur every four years to help synchronize the calendar year with the solar year. This extra day, February 29, is added to the calendar in order to keep it in alignment with the Earth's revolutions around the Sun. People born on February 29, known as "leap day babies," only get to celebrate their actual birthday once every four years.