COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Thursday is February 29, a day that only happens every four years. For two Colorado Springs brothers, Leap Day is their birthday.
"I don't know, it just feels different I think," said Timothy James.
When Stephen James was celebrating his 12th birthday growing up in Trinidad, he was surprised by the early arrival of Timothy, his younger brother.
"When he was born, my dad came into the house and told me I had a little brother," said Stephen. "I told him 'I don't want a brother for my birthday, I want a bike!'"
What makes the two sharing a Leap Day birthday so special? Math professors at Colorado College say the odds of someone being born on a Leap Day are one in 1,461. The odds of two siblings being born on a Leap Day is extremely low.
"I don't really think about it much," said Timothy.
"I guess we did when we were younger," said Stephen.
The James brothers say they've tried to make the most of their shared birthday.
"There was a restaurant in the Springs when I first moved up here with him that would give you free dinner on your birthday," said Timothy. "We would go to the westside and eat on the 28th, and then come over to the eastside and eat on the first."
The brothers say they prefer to count only the Leap Day years for their age.
"Some people ask me 'what age are you?' said Stephen. "Well I'm 72 or 18, but I'll take the 18!"
Stephen and Timothy are celebrating their birthdays by sharing a meal with their family and going to the Denver Nuggets game on Thursday night.
Timothy says he still feels like he owes Stephen a party for spoiling the fun of his 12th birthday.
"To this day, I think I still owe him a 12th birthday party because we interrupted his birthday," said Timothy.
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