Meet America’s oldest living leap year baby: Daisy Belle Ward, 100

Daisy Belle Ward was born on February 29, 1916, making her the oldest living person born on leap day. Because leap year is only observed every four years, Ward prefers to tell people that she is actually only turning 25...

Daisy Belle Ward was born on February 29, 1916, making her the oldest living person born on leap day.

Because leap year is only observed every four years, Ward prefers to tell people that she is actually only turning 25.

This year, for her birthday, Ward showed up in her Sunday finest to a huge party that included an 80-piece marching band.

Usually, Ward just celebrates her birthday with a quiet dinner with her friends and family. But this year, she decided to do something a little bigger and more festive.

Basically, Ward partied like she was 25.

As for why Ward’s birthday is so rare, theoretical physicist Michio Kaku explained why we have the extra day at the end of February every four years:

Mother Nature has a sense of humor. She did not make a simple calendar so that when you go around the sun, it’s 365 days. That’s what we learned in school, right? Oh no,” Kaku explained. “Mother Nature made it so that every 365 days plus 5 hours, 49 minutes and a few odd seconds. That means that every year, we have to compensate for one quarter of a day. So after four years, we have to add one more day.

Congrats to Daisy – 100 years young.

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