Beechworth hat-trick

27 Apr 2020

In March this year, Beechworth Combined Probus Club, with a membership of 75, witnessed an exceptional event. Three of its members celebrated their birthdays on the same day, March 24.

All three unrelated members – Marion Lyon, Des McIntosh and Chris Leentjes – known to the Club as “Our Triplets” – turned 80. They were born on Easter Sunday, 1940.

Every year, countless thousands of people are born on Easter Sunday. But what makes this occasion all the more special, and distinguishes “Our Triplets” from so many others, is the fact that Easter moves around. Using the Gregorian calendar, introduced in 1752, Easter Sunday can occur on one of 35 dates between March 22 and April 25, about seven days after the ecclesiastical full moon.

March 24 is the rarest of coincidences: Easter Sunday and that date.

The first time Easter Sunday aligned with March 24, following the introduction of the Gregorian calendar, was 1799. The next time was 1940 (the birthday of “Our Triplets”), and it will not happen again until the year 2391 – in another 451 years.

It’s fair to say, on so many levels, that the birthday of these members is exceptional!

Des was born locally in Beechworth, Marion was born in Wangaratta some 40km away, and Chris was born in Austria and migrated with her parents to Australia when she was 14. All are long-term members of Probus and have each held various executive positions.

They are pictured here cutting their 80th birthday cake at the March meeting.