The following is an excerpt pulled from The Vicksburg Post’s archives. The article was originally written by Mark J. Armstrong and appeared on the front page of the February 28, 2000 edition of The Vicksburg Post. Subscribers have full access to The Post’s archives. For more information on how to access them or to sign up for a subscription, click here. 

Leap Years Make Birthdays Special

By Mark J. Armstrong
Staff Writer

Joe Wayne Harris will be celebrating his 15th birthday Tuesday like most people his age; he plans to spend it with his friends, family — and his 10 grandchildren.

Born in 1940, Harris has a birthday, every four years. That is because he was born during a leap year on Feb. 29.

“Back when I had my sixth birthday, I couldn’t start school like all the other children,” he said.

The modern leap year is based on the Julian Calendar created in the mid-first century BC. Because each year is approximately 365 and one quarter days long, Julius Caesar decreed that an extra day be added to February every four years.

Although since that time, lawyers have argued as to what day to recognize a person’s birthday who was born on Feb. 29, Harris said he prefers to celebrate his on Feb. 28. As luck would have it, he was able to get his first driver’s license in a leap year.

“When I had my fourth birthday, I got my license,” he said.

Harris is a lifelong resident of Vicksburg and works as a machinist at Foam Packaging.