FROM THE REGISTER — THE RETURNED
RETURNED 1999 AFTER 12 YEARS BELOW THE FEDERAL LINE
The full resurrection: a twelve-year silence, then a climb to the best year in her entire record. First reported in 1880, Birdie fell below the line and stayed there from 1987 through 1998 — 12 years. It returned in 1999; in 2025 the register shows 422 births — the highest count in its entire record.
| First reported | 1880 |
|---|---|
| Last reported | 2025 — 422 births |
| Peak | 2025 — 422 births |
| Total recorded, 1880–2025 | 14,708 |
| Years above the line | 126 of a possible 146 |
| Longest absence | 12 years (1987–1998) |
| Returned | 1999 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration national names file (1880–2025). Names below 5 occurrences in a year are not reported.
Somewhere, a grandmother is unsurprised.
A collection of THE MUSEUM OF HOPEFUL MACHINES