India, March 2 -- If this were a leap year, there would have been a February 29, instead of March 1 following February 28. And leaplings, as those born on February 29 are called, are regarded by popular belief to be "rare, due to the rarity of their birthday". This belief about leaplings is pure and simple imagination. But two of the type did have those qualities - a coincidence.

On February 29, 1896, in an obscure village of the Bulsar (now Valsad) district of Bombay Presidency, arrived a boy, the first of eight children, born to Vajiaben, the wife of a somewhat poor Brahmin school teacher called Ranchhodji Nagarji Desai. He was named Morarji. The parents could not have guessed in their most audacious dreams that the teacup-handle-eared...