A SCHOOLBOY who was 12-years-old on the 12th day, of the 12th month of 2012, hopes this unusual birthday date will bring him luck.
Jack Cook celebrated his birthday with friends and a special Chinese meal with his family.
"I love Chinese, it is my favourite food," said Jack, a pupil at Great Baddow High School.
"Everyone already knew for a long time about the day and said to me 'you're just strange.'
"My mum said I am different, different to everybody else because of it, and that made me feel happy.
"Maybe it is just a lucky day, something might turn my way now, mum said I should pick the lottery ticket because I could win it."
The Ancient Mayan calendar speaks of 12/12/12 as the end of times as we know it, and the beginning of a new era for earth, although the much-publicised 'end of the world' date is the 21st.
But mum, Justine Cook, 43, of Willoughby Drive, Chelmer Village, knew from the moment she gave birth that her son would have this special day.
"You could say I have been waiting a long time for this day," she said.
"Jack was born quite late in the evening at St John's Hospital, in Chelmsford, and I really did not want him to be born on the 13th because it is an unlucky number.
"I knew that last year there was a story in the Essex Chronicle about a boy born on 11/11/11 and I remembered it, so I thought this would be worthy of a mention too.
"I know there were other children born on the same day as Jack, so it would be nice to get them all together."
If you're celebrating an unusual birthday contact the Essex Chronicle by e-mailing newsdesk@essexchronicle.co.uk
