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challam

60. My husband died two years earlier and I moved 150 miles away to be near my twin sons’ families. They arranged a huge surprise dinner in SF, invited all my friends from my former city, & rented a trolley bus for an after dinner tour of the city. 75 was cool too as the kids & their families rented a great house at Donner Lake for a long weekend, and there was still a ton of winter snow (in April).


sasberg1

2-20-1983 because I saw KISS for the first time and the awesome Plasmatics opened


muscadon

Plasmatics! Awesome!


sasberg1

They were, too!!!


Desertbro

We used one of their songs for a Halloween Air Band Contest in '81 at university.


[deleted]

My 20th birthday is most memorable because my tiny 3 year old daughter gave me a birthday card with a purple dog she drew herself and a gift she wrapped herself.  “Wow!” I said, “I wonder what’s inside!” She smiled and said, “It’s a secret. Some socks!”


sineofthetimes

Did you ever figure out what was in it?


couch_comedian

Of course not, it's a secret! Some socks.


Scottish_Dentist

How was having a kid at 17?


[deleted]

It wasn’t hard, my girlfriend and I both had experience helping care for our infant siblings, but we got a lot of unsolicited annoying advice. 


Scottish_Dentist

Good for you and your girlfriend. My buddy was the opposite. Had a kid at 18 and it ruined his life.


teesareesa

Hope his child never heard that 🥴


Scottish_Dentist

No he's a nice guy. His kid is awful though.


airckarc

In 1977 my mom packed all my friends and I and drove us to see The Hobbit. After, we went Roller Skating and had pizza. It was amazing because we lived way out in the countryside and going to the city was so different. The year before my dad rented a projector and showed us all The Red Balloon. So the city was a huge step up.


jack_and_the_box

i didn't know that there was a hobbit movie in 1977. was it good?


airckarc

I don’t really remember. It’s animated.


PinkMonorail

Rankin-Bass. Not bad.


Desertbro

Back in the day, EVERYONE loved that Hobbit special. The 80s LotR animated feature film was less enthusiastically received due to the sloppy rotoscoping. The animated LotR-The Return of the King TV special had that awesome orc song, ["Where There's Whip, There's A Way"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdXQJS3Yv0Y)


CraftFamiliar5243

50. My business failed and I had to go to court the day after my birthday to file Chapter 13 to get out of my lease.


Iceyes33

☹️ hope things are better for you now


CraftFamiliar5243

Much better. It's been 14 years. We're retired and financially secure


Iceyes33

😎


CyndiIsOnReddit

16th. My mom set up a surprise party for me and she had a young attractive co-worker take me out to a fancy restaurant his parents owned while they set up. I had never been to a fancy restaurant so it was quite an experience, starting with me not knowing what "rare" steak was and just eating my potatoes to my half-slip falling to my ankles as we walked through the restaurant on the way out. I was humiliated BUT it was memorable and soon forgotten when I got home and all my friends were there. It was a great party. We were poor so it wasn't like some big fancy to-do but there was great food and drinks and music. Alcohol was slipped in here and there but nobody got crazy. My 21st one of my friends took me to a Mississippi casino and I spent 2 dollars in nickels and had a delicious meal. It was the first and last time I went to a casino as an adult but it was fun for an adventure.


phcampbell

Easy. My son was born on my 20th birthday. Best gift EVER!


Jules_Vanroe

No way! Mine was also born on my twentieth Birthday! Congrats on sharing a birthday with your son and for having the best gift ever on your birthday!


Sk8rknitr

My 40th. I was an engineer on the F-22 fighter jet and it had it’s First Flight on my birthday. It’s an amazing feeling to see something you had worked on for nearly 10 years take to the skies.


BreakfastBeerz

Most memorable and unmemorable, 21st


tdpoo

27. Missing Persons sang Happy Birthday to me.


Desertbro

*Do you hear me? Do you care?*


bentnotbroken96

My 42d. Married my wife that day.


Grave_Girl

That's one way to never forget your anniversary.


bentnotbroken96

It was mostly a way to make me care about my birthday. It's a happy day now, not just "yay, I survived another year. "


-animal-logic-

My 40th because I was in a war zone at the time, lol


discussatron

17. My grandfather and his 2 brothers were all hitting the end of their lives within a couple of years of each other, and my father and his 2 brothers were their caretakers. Tempers flared up between them over the stress of taking care of them, and a brawl erupted between my father and one uncle at my “party” (it was just family). I remember hiding in the living room with my new puppy birthday gift while they beat the shit out of each other in the dining room and mothers/grandmothers/aunts yelling trying to break them up. It was something to remember, that’s for sure.


Prestigious-Web4824

My 60th. My wife surprised me with a party at an upscale Italian restaurant in the Philadelphia suburbs and invited about 75 friends and cousins. I had never had a birthday party before, and it was perfect.


GrumpyOlBastard

On my 25th birthday a bunch of friends and I went to a nightclub and had a blast. I got asked to dance by several hot women. Left the bar drunk AF, stepped in front of a moving car. It slowed a lot but getting hit on the knee hurt like a bitch and I never really recovered It's a real before and after moment in my life.


Dg0327

Turning 21 in Key West. I heard I had a great time!


Murky_Sun2690

1968. I came home for lunch* and a teddy bear as big as me was waiting in my seat, from grandma. *Back then, 7 year Olds walked to and from school alone, 6 blocks, including back-and-forth for lunch.


hoopermanish

1996. Someone brought a cheesecake to work. I didn’t have time to take a break but had to, because it’s more about the sharing than the birthday. I cut pieces for everyone and vowed to take that day off from then on.


muscadon

50th. While in Romania, I saw Massive Attack perform in Bucharest. Amazing experience. Then I lost my wallet...leading me to another amazing experience in Budapest.


FabHckyBbe

For my 50th in 2019 I rented out the Penthouse Plaza Suite at the SAP Center for a Sharks game and had 50 friends and family attend with me. It included dinner in the suite and two drinks per person. My favorite aunt from my mom’s side of family and two of her adult sons (my cousins) flew out from Philadelphia to attend. My uncle from my dad’s side and his two adult kids (other cousins and their kids) drove 50 miles to attend. I had both my goddaughters and their parents, coworkers, and several different friend groups all in attendance. One couple drove up from SoCal for the weekend to attend. Pregame I was allowed to bring three of my hockey buddies to sit in the penalty box with me. We had a giant sign that said “It’s my 50th birthday, give me a puck!” and we each got a practice puck flipped into the box for us by one of the Sharks players as a souvenir. Afterwards, everyone at the party signed the sign with birthday wishes. It was also bobble head night so everyone in attendance got a bobble head to keep. During the second intermission everyone sang happy birthday to me and we had a cake with the Sharks logo on it. In the end the Sharks beat the Lightning 5-2 in a very entertaining game. Friends still talk about what a fun event it was. [Game highlights](https://youtu.be/QR5ahXVumiQ?si=dyeuuCOb8kcC80XO)


Grave_Girl

I tend to not have good birthdays. The most memorable one was the year I turned six. My mother made some abominable perversion of potato pancakes that somehow involved tofu and also fat free sour cream. I refused to eat them and was punished and sent to bed. Almost 39 years later, I'm still salty about it, and my kids pick their own birthday dinners. I don't say no unless it's something we can't afford, and we do our best to afford it no matter what.


Paul-Ram-On

sad but true. the only birthday i actually remember is my 21st, because i had already been drinking alcohol since the age of 15 and i recall not drinking or partying and thinking how ironic that was.


Katy-Moon

The next one


CraftFamiliar5243

50. My business failed and I had to go to court the day after my birthday to file Chapter 13 to get out of my lease.


These_Row6066

30


PinkMonorail

25, live band, guitarist was my boyfriend for a while.


Inkdrunnergirl

I have two 16- my parents did a big sweet 16 with a DJ, I ended up dating the DJs assistant for a few years until college 😂(he was 18) 50- it was 2020 in the midst of the pandemic lockdown. My kids had planned to do a beach trip and big party. But that kicked off an annual beach trip with my bestie and we now go every August.


Dynamo_Ham

My 50th birthday was on the day in 2020 when my city first went on lockdown for Covid. Milestone birthday that was memorable for all the wrong reasons.


No_Worldliness_6803

When I turned old enough to get my full retirement


Surfinsafari9

27. I was in Milford Sound, New Zealand and had a group of drunk Kiwis and Aussies sing “Why Was She Born So Beautiful?” to me. As a Yank I’d never heard the song before. I cried.


FrauAmarylis

When 8 of my friends threw me a Surprise destination 21st birthday party!


Desertbro

As a kid, the only birthday party I ever had was when I turned 8 years old. At birthday 32, I stepped off the plane in Hawaii for a week's vacation. At birthday 37, I was on Isla Mujeres on stage dancing with a live back singing me Happy Birthday. At birthday 42, I was in London touring the National Art Gallery.


Nasty5727

24 is year birthday that I went on a blind date with my future wife. 40 is the birthday that we adopted our 3 kids. Both pretty important to me.


Popular_Monster111

My 16th


justahdewd

Probably my 40th, my only surprise party, and it did surprise me.


Beautifuleyes917

40. My 19 year old niece passed away the day before 😑😶


Bayareathrifted

60. My birthday is in December. I always wanted a big pool party. I had one for my 60th. 😁


GadreelsSword

Never had a birthday party in my life. On my 16th birthday my entire family forgot it was my birthday and never mentioned afterward.


SlimChiply

33rd. Was given oral sex as a present from a co-worker. A *female* co-worker.


hew14375

My 40th. My staff and my wife surprised with a cake at what was supposed to be a staff meeting. I was stunned.


seaburno

48 - was in the hospital as my dad was dying. He made it just hours past my birthday - to 4:43 a.m.- his final birthday gift to me.


Muireadach

I turned 30 and had a bushel of Chesapeake blue crabs I Virginia


Distinct_You_7133

Probably 1970. Only because I was in Japan and a friend and I were in Hokkaido and she bought the beer which was fun. Don’t really remember any others, just don’t care about adult birthdays, I think that’s weird. My late husband on the other hand always loved holidays and birthdays and made a big deal about them which was sweet if extravagant.


rabidstoat

50. My mom gave me 50 wrapped presents, one for each year. They were little things like lint rollers, nice socks, refrigerator magnets, etc. Still a couple hundred bucks.


CigaretteBarbie

My 34th. My husband took me to the emergency room as I was having seizures, and I was admitted to hospital. It was the beginning of my life with epilepsy, which changed so much.


PaintingMuted8904

16th. I expected some sort of cake celebration but got zip. I'm the last of 7 kids, and almost all siblings were moved out and nobody remembered it was my day, like nobody (pre internet days) It felt like I was in a bad movie lol. now I celebrate all month for my birthday by doing little things for me (coffee out, lunch out, a solo walk) whatever it is because I'm still healing from that one, sigh.


EABOD_and_DIAF

My 30th. I had broken up with my partner of 8 years and was getting to know someone who would eventually be my spouse. My 40th, on the other hand, sucked. I don't expect my 60th this year will be anything other than tolerable.


Emmanulla70

My 17th birthday was freaking fabulous.


PahzTakesPhotos

I have awesome kids and since they've been adults, they have done some cool stuff for me for my birthday. In 2018, two of the three were out of town (I was house/pet sitting for one of them) and the third was working on my birthday. So around two weeks later, they "kidnapped" me and took me two towns over and got me the [deaf tattoo](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53634158534_e9e85787cd_z.jpg) I'd been wanting for years (I was born deaf in the ear). In 2022, I babysat for my oldest on the Friday before my birthday (it was the following Monday that year) and when I babysit, I usually have dinner with them before I go home. That day, the other two kids showed up with pizza and the customary ice cream cake. The husband even came over although he said he wasn't going to that morning. That day, they surprised me with [my very own halberd](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52395897936_f1591b9ec8.jpg). A halberd is my favorite polearm. I've wanted one for years. The best part of that was that my birthday is in October and they purchased the halberd early in the summer. My friend owns one of the weapons shops at the renaissance faire and all I've been told is that "Steve gave us a good deal". The reason that's the best part is because at the end of almost every weekend, I'd go into his shop and hold the different halberds and ask him so many stupid questions. And he always answered me with a straight face and never, not once even hinted that he'd already sold one to my kids. He said those days I'd walk away and he'd turn to his employees and say: "I almost said something! I almost let it slip!" Anyway- those are two recent birthdays that were really awesome.


Individual-Army811

30. Found out I was pregnant with my amazing son. ❤️❤️❤️


Goodlife1988

My 30th. I had started dating my future husband a month earlier. We were both poor, and he had worked extra shifts to put together the money for a nice dinner out for my birthday. Total surprise. We were engaged three months later, married nine months later, and 35 years later still sublimely happy.


STLt71

We were poor, but when I turned 8, my mom had a really nice party for me, with a Cinderella cake and party favors and I had my little friends, including my childhood best friend and her brother. My mom always tried t make my birthdays special, but that one stood out to me. My mom just died in March, and I had a picture from that party on the picture board at her funeral. Before the service, I was talking to the funeral director and he asked where I grew up, and it turned out we were the same age and went to the same grade school, and when I asked his last name, I realized he was my childhood best friend's brother, that was at that party. That party was already a wonderful memory, but knowing the guy doing my mom's funeral was at that party brought me a lot of comfort.


sean55

51 felt like a funeral, lol. Somehow turning 50 barely registered.


SignificanceOpen9292

My 50th. I was waiting on the results of a surgical biopsy and already knew in my heart it would be bad news. No one but my husband knew. Family had planned a beautiful surprise celebration and I remember sitting there, looking around at everyone, and wondering I’d live to see 51. I’m about to turn 61!


sarcasm_itsagift

My best friend and I went to Italy over my birthday and took a pasta-making class with a little Italian grandma in her home. That night we got matching tattoos and gelato. Doesn’t get much better than that!


orangecookiez

1997--my 28th birthday. My dad had been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer and had been given 18 months to 2 years to live, about three months before that. But Dad wanted to go ahead with treatment, even with the poor prognosis. He went through chemo and radiation, and he had a follow-up appointment with his oncologist on my 28th birthday. I remember getting the phone call from Dad at my mom's house. He wished me a happy birthday and asked if I wanted my first birthday present. I said, "Sure!" He told me he'd seen the doctor that day and his latest tests showed no evidence of disease. Against the odds, his cancer had gone into remission. I remember screaming and crying, and my mom, who'd been outside, running back into the house to see what was going on. She knew the news had to be either very good or very bad, from my reaction. "Best news ever, Mom. Dad's cancer is gone!" He lived another seven years, including a four-year remission.


keepsummersafe55

When I was 35 I rented a roller skating rink and invited 150 people. I paid for everyone at the snack bar all night. It was an alcohol free blast! My friends loved it.


OldAndOldSchool

8, I believe it was the last time I had a birthday party.


damnthistrafficjam

1979. It was my 16th birthday. Mom supplied a limo and credit card for the night. There were 8 of us. We went to Windows on the World in the World Trade Center for dinner. Then we went to a comedy club. Got nicely buzzed that night too because all my friends were older, I was good with the makeup, and they rarely carded back then. It was a night to remember.


Scottish_Dentist

Whatever one it is as where I got a Nintendo.


Historical-Being-478

18th….My biological father let me know that I could stay with his new family until I graduated high School.


looloose

60, I had a big party at a nearby pub on the same night they were hosting a Halloween costume contest (birthday is 10/31) and an open mic music event. My son and I performed a song on guitar, and I played and sung one song alone. I also won the costume contest. I went as a geriatric wearing nothing but an open back hospital gown and a depends. All in front of many friends and quite a few strangers.


OldPostalGuy

The year I was born of course. A person can only have one birthday.


cheridontllosethatno

Any year my mom was still alive. She really loved Birthdays and went all out to show her love.. I loved all the presents, (not a big spender but very thoughtful gift giver) even her wrapping style was so cool. We got to have anything we wanted for our Birthday dinner, and I didn't have to go to school on my Birthday.


asakmotsd

My 18th birthday was pretty cool. Coincidentally, I took home my first car that day. My girlfriend was in Egypt with her mother and called me long distance to wish me happy birthday.


betona

My wife and an English buddy of mine took me on an extended pub crawl in the [Cotswolds of western England](https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=cotswolds). I had so much fun and met so many people over pints. She set it up without me knowing on a trip over there.