Birthday Bummer

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Photo and text by Gabrielle. Super cute cake flags here.

On Friday, when I was at the conference, I joined an art session taught by the fabulous A’Driane Nieves. I settled myself at one of the tables and as I got to know my table mates, it turned out that most of us had June birthdays (which means we are Geminis, if you follow that sort of thing). In fact, one of the women even had my exact same birthday! It’s always fun to find a birthday mate, right?

Except when it isn’t.

After realizing we had the same birthday, June 14th, she said, “You know, it’s also Donald Trump’s birthday. June 14th. Flag Day.”

My mouth fell open. I have rarely been caught that off guard. I said, “Are you joking? Is that for real?” I could not believe it. But apparently it’s true. I share a birthday with Donald Trump.

If you had told me this 2 years ago, it would not have even registered in my brain. I would have heard it and forgotten it within milliseconds. But when I heard the same thing a few days ago, I was so bummed! So super bummed! I know it doesn’t actually mean anything, and by the end of the day I was giggling about it, but still, I don’t want to share a birthday with Donald Trump.

Oh well.

Tell me, Friends. Who are the famous people you share a birthday with? Anyone you adore? I hope so! Not sure who shares your birthday? A quick web search will tell you — try “famous people born on [date]”. Go search, because I want to hear!

P.S. — I just heard the news that Ted Cruz dropped out of the Republican nominee race, and that Donald Trump is officially the leader of the Republican party. 

119 thoughts on “Birthday Bummer”

  1. F. Scott Fitzgerald and Linda McCartney!

    Side note: when I looked this up, the results were sprinkled with people described as “youtube stars” or “vine stars”. Definitely had a kids-these-days moment reading that, although I would also point out that several of these “stars” are in their thirties, like me!

  2. @Katie_B, I noticed the same thing! Half of the ones listed are teenagers that I’ve never heard of, hahaha!

    Anyway, aside from the ones I already knew, I now know that Ghostface Killah and I share a birthday (next Monday). My day is made! :D

  3. So, my father in law shares his birthday with Hitler – April 20. I would venture to say that’s perhaps even more of a bummer than Trump? On the brighter side it is also George Takei’s birthday – perhaps that’s the universe balancing things out a bit?

    Our daughter’s birthday is April 24th. She was induced. I was the given the choice of April 20 or the 24 to schedule. As much as it would have been cool to have two family birthdays on the same day, when given the choice I just couldn’t go for the 20th for that reason.

    1. My oldest son’s birthday is April 20th, too. Each year someone reminds us that he shares his birthday with Hitler.

      1. April 20th is also my birthday. I’m in Ottawa, Canada, and every year there is a rally on Parliament Hill on that day to legalize marijuana. That’s right, 4/20. Light one up! But being reminded that I share a bday with Hitler happens every year. Every. Single. Year.

      2. One of my best friends also has that same birthday and being from Denver I also always remember it as the anniversary of Columbine as well. So, bummer day.

  4. Late June birthday checking in here – not a gemini though, a cancer!

    There are only two “famous” people born on my actual birthday, no one particularly interesting.

    Otherwise, Gilda Radner, Pat Morita, and John Cusack are my favorites from the list.

  5. My son was just born on April 20, Hitler’s birthday. I am not too bummed about it but it is curious because I’ve been drawn to reading WWII era fiction during the pregnancy!

    1. My birthday is also September 17. Others that day are Paula Jones (one of the first President Clinton’s many sex scandals), Ken Kesey, Hank Williams, and J. Willard Marriott.

  6. June 14th is my birthday too!

    When I was in 5th grade I moved to a new school. On the first day, the teacher had us line up by birthday and to my delight, another girl had my birthday! Birthday twins! It was just the thing for a nervous new girl. We became instant friends and are still in contact today.

    I’m just ignoring the whole Donald Trump thing. :-/

    1. My mother also has a June 14th birthday and she is lovely and amazing. Maybe it was DT’s y chromosome that screwed up the the gloriousness of being born on that day.

  7. Found some fun ones for my Sept. 10 birthday like Arnold Palmer, Guy Ritchie, Colin Firth, Joe Perry, and Alison Bechdel :) Have to take the good with the bad, though, since apparently we also share the day with Jared Lee Loughner.

  8. Oh, I am sorry for your bummer discovery. I would be bummed too. Fortunately, I found some real delights that share my birthday (Elmore Leonard, Eleanor Roosevelt and Art Blakey) and I’m going to quit before I find out something I don’t want to know.

  9. I love the people with whom I share a birthday: Florence Nightingale, Yogi Berra, Emilio Estevez and Tootie from the Facts of Life ( AKA Kim Fields.)

    I had to schedule an induction for my second child and I told the nurse that the week after my due date was fine. I hung up, went to write it in my calendar…September 11. Immediately, I called back to reschedule. It would have been fine if she came on that date but I didn’t want to choose it for her.

  10. I had a similar experience recently when I learned that I share a wedding anniversary with Hitler. I’ve always loved our date because we shared it with my aunt and uncle and Gordon and Marjorie Hinckley, and more recently the royals Will & Kate, as well as my younger brother and his wife. But with my brother nearing a divorce and the newly discovered Hitler connection, this year my joy was a little tinged with those thoughts. However, I’ve decided that bad historical things can be redeemed, so babies born on September 11 bring new life to our country, that kind of thing. We’re redeeming that day in April for the future. Nevertheless, condolences on finding any shared similarities with the Donald.

  11. Martha Stewart! And the footballer Tom Brady, with whom I share not only the date but the year. You know that you only need 23 people in a room before the chances two of them have the same birthday is greater than 50%? As a statistician, I love that (true) fact.

  12. Another Gemini here! June 19th is my birthday. What fun it was to find out who shared a birthday with me!

    My favorites– Phylicia Rashad, Moe Howard (Three Stooges), Ann Wilson (Heart), Salman Rushdie and Gilberto Benetton (of the United Colors of Benetton fame)!

  13. My birthday is December 13. If it makes you feel any better I share with Herman Cain and Ted Nugent. Yuck!! Also Taylor Swift and Dick VanDyke to even it out. Lol

  14. My anniversary is June 14th! Ugh, I did not want to share that with Donald Trump.

    My birthday is April 14. I have met someone who shares the exact same day of birth with me. He is a total of 33 minutes older than I am.

    But the crazy part of my birthday is that Lincoln was shot at Ford’s Theater and the Titanic hit the iceberg on my birthday. It’s a good thing I’m not superstitious or I would think it’s cursed!

  15. Lol. that’s a funny thing to think about. I looked mine up and could only find D list celebrities I’d never heard of, oh. and Queen Elizabeth the 1st. Surprising since I have a Sept birthday and I thought that and August were the most common.

  16. Clarification: Donald Trump is the “presumptive nominee”, not “officially the leader” of the Republican Party. Those are two very different things! :)

  17. !*Katherine Hepburn*!, Gabriel Byrne (same year!), Yogi Berra, and Steve Winwood (Roll With It, Baby!) ❣

  18. August 27th means I share my birthday with Pee-Wee Herman and LBJ. Wouldn’t that be an interesting birthday party!? And, although it’s not exactly a birthday, Krakatoa erupted on Aug 27th…and I’ve always sworn that would be my professional wrestling name, “Krakatoa Kace!”

  19. Mine is Oct. 18 and I only recognize 2 names off my list: Zac Efron and Jean Claude Van Damme. BOOOORING!

  20. My birthday is today! I’m a little bugged that “Star Wars Day” has recently become a thing, though. May the fourth be with you…

  21. My birthday is Christmas day (December 25th). I just looked it up, and I share a birthday with Justin Trudeau! Pretty cool, if you ask me!

  22. I share my birthday with the Queen of England, April 21. I did not know that until this year when I turned 43 and she turned 90. I think that is something I should’ve known all my life. I thought I was the queen of that day, but I guess not! :)

  23. When my first son was born on April 20th I was writing in his baby book in the “famous people you share a birthday with” section when google’s 1st hit was “Hitler”. I’ve never told him. Worst ever.

  24. I can totally understand being bummed. It’s a silly thing, but I’d be really bummed too!
    I share a birthday, July 18th, with Vin Diesel, Nelson Mandela, and Kristen Bell. Kristen Bell and I were born the same year, so we are most likely twins separated at birth. ;)

  25. A few others have mentioned April 20th — that’s my birthday, too. In addition to Hitler’s birthday, it’s also 4/20, which can be awkward if you aren’t a pot smoker. And also, Columbine happened that day. So it is definitely not the best day ever, but I’ve never been overly bothered by it. Something bad is happening every day, but it’s equally important to remember all the beautiful moments happening every day, and all the wonderful people born each day — even if they’re not (in)famous!

  26. Barbara Walters and Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta- Jones, Will Smith, and a many more. I hear Barbara often hosts a birthday party for fellow birthday celebs. I keep hoping I’ll be invited.

  27. Pamela Balabuszko-Reay

    Well first of all-you were born on that day because the love and light that you spread across the land was needed. A little balance for the day. Love and light wins every time. Shine On! So there!

    I was born on September 28th. I have Confucius, Ed Sullivan, Brigitte Bardot, Mira Sorvino and Marcello Mastroianni.

  28. I’m with you–I do not want to share anything with Donald Trump. Not my birthday, not a sandwich, and most of all… not my country.

    I did enjoy looking up my birthday mates. I share a birthday with Mozart, Lewis Carroll, Alan Cummings, and John Roberts (the Supreme Court Justice). So, if horoscopes mean anything, I think I fit right in.

  29. Gabby I hear you on this. In case you are all wondering the world recoiled yesterday when Trump became the last man standing. In Australia we are asking ….How did this happen America? We are one step away from having the most loathsome and hateful leader of such a wonderful country. It keeps me awake at night! Please do not let him prevail.

  30. My birthday was yesterday and when I clicked on one of the google links, it was full of youtube stars ie no one anyone knows. The on-this-day.com list is much better! Machiavelli, Golda Meir, Bing Crosby, James Brown – fun!

  31. My rather high-brow daughter shares a birthday with both Jane Austen and Beethoven, December 16. She loves that! Also Catherine of Aragon, an ancestor, who she’s named after. :)

  32. Bummed too because I just checked and see that I share my birthday September 6 with my state’s governor Chris Christie, as well as Carly Fiorina. I was much happier when I only knew that Pippa Middleton shared my birthday (just one step away from royalty!)!

  33. Me, Queen Elizabeth II, and Adolf Hitler. Also, Charlotte Bronte.

    Two of the birthday-twins I don’t mind. I’ve heard that Queen Elizabeth has her official birthday celebration in June because the weather in England in April is sometimes unreliable/wet, but I actually have a different theory…

  34. Before anyone corrects me: I was wrong about Hitler. Not gonna cry about that. Sometimes it’s better to just have been wrong.

  35. Being the nominee does not make Donald Trump the leader of the Republican Party. Real Republicans aren’t big fans either.

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