Mary Lea Forsythe of Sand Springs, Oklahoma, turned 100 years old on Thursday — and celebrated her 25th birthday.
The anomaly can be credited to the fact that the 100-year-old was born Feb. 29, 1924, a date which occurs only once every four years, called leap years.
Forsythe told “Good Morning America” earlier in February that her quadrennial birthday presented a special opportunity.
“I always thought I was blessed,” said Forsythe, who explained that in non-leap years, she would celebrate the occasion two or three times over. “It was so much fun. We celebrated whenever we wanted to.”
Forsythe said she sometimes celebrated on the the days surrounding her birthdate those years, including on her late husband’s birthday, March 6.
She specifically recalled one year in which she went with her husband William Wayne Forsythe to a diner that offered free breakfast to anyone celebrating a birthday, on his birthdate. She said when the server questioned their story — that the day marked both of their birthdays — she had her justification ready.
“His birthday is March 6, and mine is Feb. 29. And there is no 29th on the calendar this year. So, mine is March 6,” she recalled saying.
The couple ate free that day.
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