On the 10th day of the 10th month of 2010, a Michigan woman gave birth to her third child.
Barbara and Chad Soper never planned to have their children born on these particular dates. Though it does make it easier for everyone to remember their birthdays.
The Soper’s first child, daughter Chloe Corrin, was born after doctors had to give Barbara drugs to induce labor. She was born on August 8, 2008, full term.
Barbara told USA Today that their second child, a son, was unplanned and a “miracle.” Cameron Dane was due on Sept. 20, 2009, but the doctor thought he should be born earlier so he’d be smaller, since his older sister caused their mom some hemorrhaging the year before.
Barbara was given drugs to induce labor on September 8, but Cameron waited until 9-9-09 to make his world entrance.
Their third child was due to be born on November 4, 2010. The Sopers thought it would be “neat” if she came early on 10-10-10, but they didn’t actually believe it would happen.
After Barbara developed blood clots in her legs, she had to once again be given drugs to induce labor on October 9. Perhaps not wanting to be outdone by her two older siblings, Cearra Nicole emerged on 10-10-10.
Shannon McWeeney, a professor of biostatistics, said it may seem “incredibly rare” that these birth dates happened, but she went on to explain how it is not all that incredible. The “lineup can only happen in the first 12 years of the century and at least 10 months apart.”
“Given that the first birth occurred in that window, the probability is not as astronomical as you might be compelled to think,” McWeeney said.
Professor of statistics Philip Stark said: “The ‘chance’ you get depends on the assumptions you make. One set of assumptions gives a chance of about 1 in 50 million. More realistic assumptions — including allowing at least 11 months between births — increases it to about 1 in 2,500. Since thousands of women in the United States had kids in 2008, 2009 and 2010, this suddenly seems a little less extraordinary.”
The Sopers are not planning on having a fourth child, even if it were to be born on 11-11-11.
