One of the most famous Leap Day babies is Pope Paul III, born in 1468. He was the guy who started the Council of Trent, which basically reshaped the Catholic Church. You know he had great timing—he probably scheduled his own birthday for maximum inconvenience.
Even better, his papacy lasted 15 years—which is only three of his actual birthdays. Imagine celebrating your “10th” birthday while running the Vatican. That’s the kind of humblebrag that makes regular birthdays look pathetic.
The Superhero and the Songbird
Speaking of cool, Dennis Farina—the gruff actor from Law & Order and Get Shorty—was born on Leap Day 1944. He was a real-life Chicago cop before becoming a movie star. So if he ever complained about a late birthday gift, you’d probably apologize immediately.
On the musical side, we’ve got Dinah Shore, born February 29, 1916. She was a singing, swinging legend who made entire generations feel warm and fuzzy. I like to think she only aged in Leap Years—so she was about 14 when she won an Oscar for “Buttons and Bows.”
