Feb 26 MAIN.jpg

Newspaper page from February 26, 1928 showing members of the Syracuse Herald's Leap Day Birthday Club.

(Copyright 2006 Heritage Microfil)

In 1928, the Syracuse Herald decided to do something for those people who were born on the oddest day on the calendar, Feb. 29.

The Herald wanted to create a Leap Day Club to honor those who only get to celebrate their birthdays once every four years.

All one needed to join was a two-cent stamp and a picture to be put in the newspaper. Once enrolled, leaplings would be eligible for the Leap Year birthday party at the Strand Theater, including a viewing of Charlie Chaplin's latest big feature "The Circus."

Members were also encouraged to write their thoughts about having a Leap Day birthday.

The Herald figured the club would not be very big because "the stork is a pretty wise bird and seldom picks out those odd 24 hours to make deliveries."

However, the paper was mistaken. A week later The Herald reported that 33 people had enrolled in the club. The paper again blamed the stork:

But not all Syracusans had a negative outlook. Thomas Rowley, born in 1848, was anticipating his 20th birthday, despite being 80 years old on Feb. 29. He wrote: "I see it as a special little favor shown a chosen few. They will grow old slowly and gracefully."

Mabel Breh, of Lillian Avenue, looked upon her birthday with distinction. "I am proud of the fact that I am one of the few mortals born on Feb. 29," she said. "I rather like it because with a birthday every four years, I don't get old very fast"

Henry Goldacker, of Butternut Street, said she is not worried about missing birthdays, but would be upset if the proposed calendar change sponsored by George Eastman, of Kodak, takes them away entirely.

The Herald had five members who were born since 1924, and would be celebrating their first birthday. The Herald asked their readers to send these five "first birthday" members a birthday card. "At four years, nothing so contributes to self-satisfaction as having the mailman knock at the door and say: 'Where is this Mr. First Birthday, anyway? I've got a ton of mail for him, must be a pretty important fellow!'"

H.O. Burt, of Jamesville, wrote that her son, Otis, was looking forward to his first birthday. She asked the old question of when should his birthday be celebrated on non-Leap Years.

The Herald's "official Leap Year expert" suggested that their birthdays be celebrated on both Feb. 28 and March 1, to be "absolutely sure nobody suffers." The expert thought a party with ice cream would be nice on the 28th, and maybe a trip to the movies on the first.

Two additional members were added on Feb. 27, making the total 35, and the Herald considered the first year of the Club to be a success. The paper also hoped that Mr. Stork might be along the day of the party with more new recruits. (He delivered five babies on Leap Day, 1928, in Syracuse).

The Herald also gave a membership to Heman Wittman, 8, of Sherrill, who had suffered from infantile paralysis four years ago. Now, he wears iron braces on his legs, and has to walk with crutches. The Herald sent him a birthday gift and hoped his fellow club members would send a friendly word.

This feature is a part of CNY Nostalgia, a section on syracuse.com. Send your ideas and curiosities to Johnathan Croyle: Email | 315-427-3958