PORT ANGELES — David Murphy will celebrate his birthdate for only the 19th time today — on his 76th birthday.

Murphy, born Feb. 29, 1940, is one of a very small group of people called “leaplings” — one whose birthday falls on a Leap Day, which only appears on the calendar every four years.

However, he said it wasn’t always pleasant having a “special” birthday while he was growing up.

“It’s fun after you get out of school, but I got teased a lot at a younger age. The kids didn’t let it go,” he said.

Murphy works at Wilder Auto and was formerly an employee at The Toggery, a 97-year-old clothing store in downtown Port Angeles that closed in 2011 when the owners retired.

When does a leapling celebrate a birthday during those three off years?

“Usually on [Feb.] 28th, but sometimes on March 1,” Murphy said, and noted that it made little difference to him.

Eight years ago his family threw a big birthday party with 30 or 40 people for his Leap Year birthday, but most years there is little difference between those and other birthday celebrations, he said.

He said there are no plans for a special birthday celebration this year — that he knows of.

According to the U.S. Census, about 200,000 Americans have a birthday on Feb. 29.

Murphy said he knew of two others when he grew up in San Diego.

“I had a picture on the front page of the paper every four years,” he said, and noted that it was that Leap Day article that let him know who the others were.

He added that the front-page birthdays also got old very quickly when it reminded his young peers of his unique birthday situation.

Improbably, in the Port Angeles area, there are at least a dozen other leaplings that he knows of, he said.

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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.