When Duncan Ferrin turned 3, his family took him out for dinner and then joined him for a fun game of laser tag.
Plans are still up in the air for his fourth birthday this coming Wednesday, but the Century High School sophomore knows it will be fun.
"We'll do something special," Ferrin said. While it's technically only his fourth actual birth date, Ferrin will be celebrating his 16 birthday, too.
Ferrin's birthday falls on Feb. 29, a day that only occurs on calendars every four years — leap year.
"Normally we celebrate on the closest weekend," said Ferrin, who plays football at Century and outdoor track. Even at age 3 — well, almost 4 — he's also is enrolled in drivers education, and is looking forward to getting behind the wheel.
Though she will be technically 15, Marian Sleeper will also celebrate her 60th birthday (and many years of driving) this Feb. 29. She's planning a big party at her Westminster home with family and friends coming from out of town to help celebrate.
"Sixty, that's a big number anyway and falling on a leap year ... I'm looking forward to that," Sleeper admitted. "It should be a lot of fun."
Sleeper recalls that when she was a youngster growing up in Towson, many of her friends didn't understand her birthday.
"When kids realize you have a birthday every four years, they feel sorry for you," Sleeper said. "They think you celebrate birthdays only every four years. As you get older, on non-leap years, you really have to celebrate all weekend to make up for (not having a birthday)."
This week, as classmates teased Ferrin about turning 4 — and remarked on his youthful appearance — he was all smiles.
"Having a special birthday is pretty cool," Ferrin admitted. "I'm the only person I've met in person with my birthday."
Only about one in every 1,461 babies born in the world are born on Leap Day — an event that occurs every four years because of accumulated time the Earth takes to revolve around the sun. Carroll Hospital Center officials say that in 2008, the last leap year, four babies were born.
No matter her age, Sleeper says her identification always brings a moment of pause when people hear about it.
"They always give it a second look and ask 'Are you really born on a leap year?' " Sleeper said. "You don't find them too often."