Gregory was born on a Monday in New York City. His father sent out Western Union telegrams to announce the birth. The family later moved to London. On his seventh birthday, which was also a Monday, the boy saw the British monarch.
Was the monarch a king, or a queen?
Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
Revised and retitled January 30, 2012
See the Answer: Puzzle #5: Leaping to Conclusions
The Well-Tempered Spreadsheet 
The monarch would be a Queen (Victoria), because no there are coincidences (mondays) with seventh years of difference since 1/1/1900 until today. Since Western Union was founded in 1865 (the sovereign was the Queen Victoria), this would be the unique possibility.
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I’m sorry Alfredo, that’s not quite right. Why don’t you take a closer look? Thanks, Win
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Gregory saw King Edward VII. He was born in 1896 after February 29, so the day of the week for his birthday would move forward by one day per year. As 1900 did not have a leap year because of the nature of the Gregorian calendar, his seventh birthday would then also fall on a Monday in 1903. As Queen Victoria died in 1901, the answer becomes obvious.
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Very Good! That is the correct answer.
It is also possible that he was born in early 1897, but that would not change the result.
On another forum, someone raised the possibility that Gregory was born on a Feb. 29. That might create new cases: (1) you only count later birthdays if they fall on a Feb. 29, or (2) you include any last day of February as a birthday. Would either case give a new solution?
Thanks for looking at the puzzle.
Win
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