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Born in 1980? A mathematical surprise awaits you in 2025

Finally, people born in 1980 have something amazing over those young'ins who came into the world in the year 2000 or on a Leap Day.

Danny Gallagher
CNET freelancer Danny Gallagher has contributed to Cracked.com, Mental Floss, Maxim, Break.com, Mandatory, Jackbox Games, Geeks Who Drink and many, many other publications in his never-ending quest to bring the world's productivity to a screeching halt. He lives and works in Dallas. Email Danny.
Danny Gallagher
2 min read

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I'm looking forward to celebrating my 45th birthday that also contains a rare, mathematical coincidence as long as I don't have to wear one of those stupid hats. Video screenshot by Danny Gallagher/CNET

I'm starting to believe I was born under some kind of magical sign.

It all started back on June 8 when I wrote a CNET story about a study examining the correlation between birth month and certain diseases. It found that people born in May had a lower risk for contracting ailments such as ADHD and heart disease.

The subject still needs further study and a much wider pool of patients to reach broader conclusions, but I didn't care. I have a May birthday -- May 9, 1980 to be exact. It was like learning I was the Last Starfighter without having to waste all those quarters on an overrated video game.

The good news just keeps on rolling my way. I just came across a news video that reveals another significant anomaly connected to my birth. Matt Parker, a self-proclaimed "stand up mathematician," author and host of the web series Numberphile, explains in the video below that he and all of the other people who were born in 1980 are part of a very unique, mathematical group.

Ten years from now, in the year 2025 when us old fogies will turn 45, our ages will line up with our year along a very rare mathematical line in which our age equals the square root of that exact year. The last time that happened was for people born in the year 1892 when they turned 44 in 1936, and it won't happen again until 2070 when the people born in that year turn 46 in 2116. That's assuming some kind of alien invasion that enslaves all of humanity won't spoil our fun by then.

Now, you may just be calling my good fortune coincidences and you're probably right, but being in the right statistical birth month and a rare, mathematical year that happens once every century still feels empowering. This is like learning that I've been chosen to be in the Green Lantern Corps -- minus the power to conjure any object at will or fit in spandex without looking like an overstuffed sausage.

If you're a fellow 1980-ian or just want to understand the math behind why this year is so unique when it comes to numbers, Parker will do the math for you in the video below.