Does any of your friends celebrate their birthday on 29 February? If yes, they’re part of a rare group known as “leaplings”! Known to only a few, many people are included in the list of 29 Feb birthday famous personality. It is an interesting topic as leap day birthdays only come around once every four years. Morarji Desai and Rukmini Devi Arundale are some of the 29 Feb birthday famous personalities in India. Keep on reading to find out more about Leap Year birthday personalities.
This Blog Includes:
7 Famous Personalities Born on 29 February in India
The table mentioned below is all about famous personalities born on 29 February in India. These individuals have made significant contributions in various fields, from politics to arts, and academics.
29 Feb Birthday Famous Personality | Date of Birth | Description/Achievements |
Morarji Desai | February 29, 1896 | Former Prime Minister of India, The first non-Congress Prime Minister of India. |
Prakash Nanjappa | 29 February 1976 | Indian athlete An Olympian who received the Arjuna Award in shooting sports |
Rukmini Devi Arundale | 29 February 1904 | Indian classical dancer and choreographer A follower of theosophy |
Janvi Chheda | 29 February 1984 | Indian actress Known for her role in popular TV show Balika Vadhu |
C. S. Seshadri | 29 February 1932 | Famous Indian mathematician Received the Bhatnagar Prize in 1972 He founded the School of Mathematics as part of the SPIC Science Foundation |
Ashok Dave | 29 February 1952 | A great humorist from the state of Gujarat |
Kinnikambala Padmanabha Rao | 29 February 1940 | A professor specialised in Ancient Indian History and Archaeology |
Morarji Desai
Morarji Desai was India’s first Prime Minister who was not from the Indian National Congress party. A dedicated freedom fighter, he joined Mahatma Gandhi’s civil disobedience movement, spending nearly 10 years in British jails. Desai gradually rose through political ranks, becoming Bombay’s Chief Minister in 1952 and later India’s Deputy Prime Minister in 1967. Fast forward to 1977, his strong administrative skills and dedication helped him become the Prime Minister of India. It was finally the moment when Morarji defeated Indira Gandhi’s Congress Party. However, his leadership was short-lived. Owing to several political challenges, Morarji resigned from his post in 1979.
Parameter | Description |
Full name | Morarji Ranchhodji Desai |
Born | February 29, 1896 |
Died | April 10, 1995 |
Political Affiliation | Indian National CongressJanata Party |
Rukmini Devi Arundale
Rukmini Devi Arundale was born in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. She was a renowned Indian classical dancer who revived the ancient dance form of Bharatanatyam. She founded the Kalakshetra Foundation in Chennai. Rukmini Devi was greatly Inspired by theosophy. She considered Anna Pavlova her mentor and strived to raise Bharatanatyam from temples to global stages. Her contributions earned her several prestigious honours like the Padma Bhushan and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

Parameter | Description |
Born | February 29, 1904 |
Died | February 24, 1986 |
Kinnikambala Padmanabha Rao
Kinnikambala Padmanabha Rao, also known as Prof, K P Rao, is a popular 29 Feb birthday famous personality. His career spans over five decades in diverse fields like Human-Computer Interaction, Mathematics, and Media Engineering. Interestingly, Prof, K P Rao has taught at prestigious institutions like MIT Manipal, IIT Bombay, and IIT Guwahati. His exemplary contributions to the defence systems at BARC and the invention of the phonetic word-processing software for Indian languages earned him awards like Karnataka Rajyotsava.
Source: IndiGlobal Media Network
Parameter | Description |
Major contribution | He developed free Kannada software |
Publications | 3 technical book publicationsSeveral journal articles |
29 Feb Birthday Famous Personality Around the World
In this section, you will read about famous personalities born on February 29 from around the world. Stick till the end and tell us if you knew about any of these famous personalities.
29 Feb Birthday Famous Personality | Date of Birth | Description/Achievements |
Dinah Shore | 29 February 1916 | An American singer, actress, and talk show host |
Pope Paul III | 29 February 1468 | The last of the Renaissance popes A popular patron of arts |
Michèle Morgan | 29 February 1920 | A French film actress |
Tony Robbins | 29 February 1960 | An American author and speaker Known for his self-help books |
Gioachino Rossini | 29 February 1792 | An Italian composer |
Ja Rule | 29 February 1976 | An American rapper, singer, and actor |
Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore was a famous American singer and TV host. Known for her cheerful personality and smooth voice, she sang popular songs like “Blues in the Night” and “Buttons and Bows”. Apart from this, Dinah Shore also hosted several TV shows, including The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, winning 6 Emmy Awards. Did you know that Dinah was a big fan of tennis and golf? It became more evident when she sponsored a major golf tournament.
Parameter | Description |
Original Name | Frances Rose Shore |
Born | February 29, 1916 |
Died | February 24, 1994 |
Awards and Honours | Emmy Award |
Gioachino Rossini
Gioachino Rossini was an Italian composer famous for his operas, especially The Barber of Seville (1816) and Cinderella (1817). Born to musician parents, Rossini grew up in the theatre. He started playing instruments and singing at a young age when he was just a child. At 14, he joined Bologna’s Philharmonic School. This was when he wrote his first opera.
Parameter | Description |
Full Name | Gioachino Antonio Rossini |
Born | February 29, 1792 |
Died | November 13, 1868 |
Notable Works | Cinderella, Amida, Count Ory |
Michèle Morgan
Michèle Morgan was a celebrated French actress known for her beauty and talent. She began acting at a young age when she was a teenager. Soon she became a star of the industry with Gribouille (1937). During World War II, she moved to Hollywood where she achieved greater success in France. Some of her notable films include La Symphonie Pastorale (1946), for which she won the first Cannes Film Festival Best Actress award, and Fabiola (1949).
Parameter | Description |
Retired | 1999 |
Last Feature Film | Everybody’s Fine |
Awards | Cannes Film Festival |
FAQs
A famous person born on February 29 is Gioachino Rossini, an Italian composer known for his operas like The Barber of Seville.
Someone born on February 29 is called a “leapling” or “leap year baby.” Their actual birthday comes only once every four years, so they often celebrate on February 28 or March 1 during non-leap years.
Morarji Desai, India’s 4th Prime Minister, was born on February 29, 1896. He is one of the few people who were born on 29 February. Moreover, he is the only Indian Prime Minister born on a leap day
Shri Morarji Desai, India’s 4th Prime Minister, was born on 29 February.
Yes, February 29 is a rare birthday because it only happens once every four years in a leap year. This makes people born on this day extra special, as less than 0.1% of the world’s population shares this birthday!
February 29th is known as Leap Day and occurs only in leap years, which happen every four years.
Interesting Reads
This blog was all about 29 Feb birthday famous personality. Do you want to read blogs on more similar topics? Check out the Famous Personalities category of Leverage Edu and enhance your general knowledge.