All birthdays are wonderful in that we even have one. The odds against being conceived, much less born, are so great — scientists calculate the probability at about one in 400 trillion (4×1014) — that we must all begin with a heartfelt nod to the old Rib-taker. But from a kid’s vantage point — and aren’t we all kids when it comes to birthdays? — there are good birth dates and bad birth dates. Believe me, I’ve lived through enough January 2nds to know first-hand what a stinker it is. And now I have proof!
According to a study by Amitabh Chandra, Harvard University, January 2nd ranks 362nd out of 365 on the popular — unpopular birthday scale, reflecting the number of people who share the same birthday. Only December 24th, January 1st, and December 25th rank lower.
My older sister Teresa’s January 10th birthday is only marginally better than mine at 349th. But our younger brother Marek’s June 18th date, by comparison, is a relative beauty at 126. Turns out September 16th is #1, as is the whole month of September, which contains the top 11 most popular birth dates. This means December is the most fecund month, and notwithstanding that old Pat Boone classic April Love, there evidently ain’t a lot of lovin’ going on in the springtime compared with the cold snugglin’ presently at hand. Thus January is the suckiest birth month of the twelve with 22 of its dates ranking in the 300s, and none higher than 240. (more…)
