Superman Through the Ages! Forum

Did comics ever celebrate Superman's birthday? What is the designated day?

Do you mean his "fictional birthday" (a day celebrated in the stories) or the date of his creation?
The firts answer was, in the pre-Crisis era, February, 29th.

For the second... I only know that Superman's first story was published in march. ACTION COMICS #1 was dated June, 1938, but before 1990 Comics had a 3 months postdated date on the cover!

What is his in story birthday?  Are there any issues where, Supes and family celebrate his b-day?

Batman's birthday was given in BATMAN FAMILY #11, however, Superman's birthday being February 29th is an old piece of information.

A few places where Superman celebrates his birthday:

SUPERMAN No. 249 (1972) by Cary Bates, which is incidentally also the first appearance of Terra-Man, which has Superman succumbing to emotional problems that Kryptonians get on their sixth birthday. Also, it is interesting to note that this sets that Superman was allowed to age a little beyond the traditional 29 years old.

Superman gets another birthday in SUPERMAN ANNUAL #11 (1985) which means that around the time of the Reboot, Superman was around 34 earth years old.

Interestingly, Clark Kent has a different birthday than Superman: According to SUPERMAN No. 263 (1973), Kent's birthday is June 18th. This was stated as being the date that Superman arrived on Earth, his "Earthday."

An estmate of his true date of birth is once given, but the "chronicles undoubtedly vary"...

The son of the [[Kryptonian]] scientist [[Jor-El]] and his wife, [[Lara]], Superman was born in the Kryptonian city of [[Kryptonopolis]] (SA No. 5, Sum 1962; and others) during the month of October (Act No, 149, Oct ‘1950: “The Courtship on Krypton!”), in the year 1920 (S No. 181/2, Nov 1965: “The Superman of 2965!”).

Oddly enough, I seem to recall that Clark's birthday, June 18, corresponds to a day of mourning of some sort on Krypton. Can't remember the details, but this appeared in a 1970s Clark Kent story in which his friends and neighbours had a surprise party for him in his apartment.

You're thinking of the same story I am: the backup story in SUPERMAN #263 (1973), however, it was a little more complicated than just a "day of mourning." The story went, as I recall, that Kryptonians in the distant past stored energy inside their bodies. A solution to the problem was found, and it was discovered that this energy was released as crying tears of grief at a Kryptonian's sixth birthday.

Incidentally, the whole Superman/Clark Kent having different birthdays explained how Superman could have frequent birthdays but never got significantly older than the traditional 29.

I always assume  that everyone in comics is born on February 30th, has a phone number that starts with 555 (but with different area codes), etc.

June 18th was when I was supposed to be born.  It's not when I was actually born, mind you, but with TMI from my parents, I know it was the proper due date.

My nominal monarch, Elizabeth II, recently celebrated her 80th official birthday, which takes place two months after her real birthday, so by rights she should be 160 by now. Maybe Superman should have an official birthday too, and Clark could celebrate the real one.

My birthday is on August 30th, by the way, and I will be 39 this year, the perfect age to get one of these: http://www.discountedradiocontrolairplanes.com/Superman%20Returns%3A%20Radio%20Control%20Flying%20Superman/Store/4715009

The only fictional character I know of who has a Feb. 30 birthdate are the Warners of the TV cartoon "Animaniacs". :-)

Interesting parallel -- Supergirl also had two birthdays.  Kara Zor-El was born on September 22, which was one day before Batgirl Barbara Gordon.  Also, September 22/23 just so happens to be the dividing line between Virgo and Libra, and people born at such times might actually share traits from both astrological signs.  Even though Kara was born on Argo City and thus wouldn't be influenced by Earth-centric zodiacs, the placement of her and Bab's birthdays can't be mere coincidence.  And like her cousin, Kara's alter ego Linda Danvers celebrated "her" birthday on the anniversary of her arrival on Earth.  (April 11 according to the 1976 Super DC Calendar, May 18 in Action Comics #305.)

Here are some Superman-specific dates from http://www.geocities.com/the_time_trust_2000/calendar.htm

January 21: Birthday of Pete Ross, Superboy's pal

February 25: Birthday of Toby Manning (Terra Man)

February 27: Birthday of Lori Lemaris, mermaid of Atlantis  :heart:

February 29:29: Birthday of Kal-El (Superman); Captain Marvel chose February 29 for his birthday, too!  :s:

March 10: Clark Kent's first meeting with Bruce Wayne

March 12: Birthday of Perry White, editor of the Daily Planet

March 24: Superboy's first meeting with Lex Luthor. They were friends -- then!

April 1: Birthday of Mr. Mxyzptlk   :lol:

April 11: "Birthday" of Linda Danvers (Supergirl). Anniversary of her arrival on Earth [1976 Super DC Calendar; placed on May 18 in Action Comics #305 (1963)]

April 20: Superboy's first meeting with Mon-El

April 29: Pete Ross learns Clark Kent is Superboy.

May 2: Lena Thorul (Luthor's sister) marries Jeff Colby

May 12: Luthor’s first attempt to kill Superboy  :twisted:

May 14: Superboy becomes Superman

May 16: Lana Lang given bio-ring by alien, she becomes Insect Queen  :roll:

May : "Birthday" of Linda Danvers (Supergirl). Anniversary of her arrival on Earth (at 12:17 PM EST) [Action Comics #305 (1963) & Supergirl #20 (1984); placed on April 11 in 1976 Super DC Calendar]
May 28: Superboy's first meeting with Mxyzptlk

June 11: SUPERMAN DAY. Anniversary of his debut as Superboy  :s:

June 16: Krypton blows up  :shock:

June 18: "Birthday" of Clark Kent. Anniversary of the day he landed on Earth [Pre-Crisis version; Post-Crisis Clark Kent's "birthday" is in November]

June 23: Superman’s first battle with Terra-Man

June 24: Accident in Luthor’s lab gives his sister Lena ESP powers

June 25: The Kents adopt Superbaby, name him Clark.

June 29: Krypto lands on Earth

June 30: Perry White hires Clark Kent

July 5: Birthday of Steve Lombard, WGBS sportscaster

July 8: Ma and Pa Kent made younger by elixir from another dimension  :?

July 13: Supergirl meets Comet, the Super-Horse  :heart:  :wink:

July 17: Birthday of Lana Lang, Superboy's girlfriend  :heart:

July 22: Justice League of America organized

July 25: Birthday of Lucy Lane, Lois's sister

July 27: Luthor creates first adult Bizarro

August 3: Superman made world citizen by the U.N.

August 5: Superboy discovers Kryptonite

August 7: Birthday of Morgan Edge, President of Galaxy Communications

August 9: Ma & Pa Kent die of fever plague  :cry:

August 11: Linda Lee adopted by Fred & Edna Danvers

August 14: Supergirl adopts Streaky, the Super-Cat

August 17: Birthday of Lois Lane  :heart:

August 27: Lab accident destroys Luthor's great discovery, makes him lose his hair. He blames Superboy, starts feud  :evil:

August 30: Superman builds his Fortress of Solitude

September 1: Birthday of Jonathan Kent, Superboy's foster father

September 3: Superboy’s last day in Smallville  :(

September 8: Superman rescues bottle-city of Kandor from Brainiac

September 15: Linda Danvers meets Lena Thorul (Luthor's sister)

September 20: Clark Kent meets Lori Lemaris  :heart:

September 22: Birthday of Kara Zor-El (Supergirl)  :s:


September 28: Birthday of Lex Luthor

September 30: Supergirl's public debut  :s:

October 1: Clark Kent meets Pete Ross

October 3: Supergirl frees her parents from Survival Zone  :D

October 7: Prof. Dalton creates first Bizarro Superboy

October 8: First Bizarro destroyed

October 21: Jonathan & Martha Kent's wedding anniversary

October 26: Birthday of Lola Barnett, WGBS gossip reporter

November 7: Birthday of Martha Clark Kent, Superboy's foster mother

November 29: Birthday of James Bartholomew (Jimmy) Olsen

December 16: Birthday of Lena Thorul (nee Lena Luthor) [1976 Super DC Calendar; placed on January 16 in Action Comics #297 (1963)]

You've got to be kidding! There are dates for all this stuff? Even Steve Lombard, I mean STEVE LOMBARD, is given a birthday? And Lori Lemaris too? (Don't get me wrong, I love Lori, but who thinks of her birthday?) I like it that Superman and Captain Marvel share the same birthday, though.

And Miracle Man aka Marvel Man ;)

The thing to keep in mind about these dates is that E. Nelson Bridwell was involved.  Bridwell started as an assistant to Mort Weisinger and eventually went on to write and edit numerous Superman and Superboy stories himself.  He was, from what I understand, the world's leading expert on the Pre-Crisis Superman and able to throw out info like there was no tomorrow.

In an "interview" with the Earth-1 and Earth-2 Superman, "conducted" by Bridwell, it was revealed that the Earth-2 Superman was born on February 29, 1916 and that the Earth-1 Superman was born on February 29, 1936.  The reason Superman appeared younger was that he didn't age all that much on his trip to Earth.

BTW- My birthday is February 29th, too.  Always liked that.

Actually, if you buy the Cary Bates theory in SUPERMAN #249 (1976) where Superman is celebrating his sixth birthday, that would make him 24 years old! One possible explanation for this is that Superman celebrates his birthday when it comes up in the Krypton Calendar, not the earth calendar, where 18 Kryptonian years = 25 earth years. In other words, a Kryptonian year is 1.38 of an Earth year.

Thus, multiplying six times four times 1.38, we get a number of 33.12 Earth years old, which is a more reasonable estimate for Superman's age, and very close to the 32 that I gave above as speculation.

On the other hand, maybe Bates was right. Maybe Superman, come #249 *IS* really 24 earth years old. After all, both Christopher Reeve and Brandon Routh were both 24 at the time of their casting. If this is literally true it means that, assuming Clark Kent took a four year college course (which we know he did, according to the college romance wit Lori Lemaris) this means that the entire Silver Age, from 1960-1972. took only two years.

Apart from that, however, there is another problem: Superman's aging doesn't coincide with other DC heroes. When Earth-1 Superman began his career, Dick Grayson was around ten, but in comics contemporary to 1972 issues, Dick Grayson was an adolescent of at least fifteen or sixteen. Two years pass for Superman, but more for Dick?

Thus, this leads me to suspect that while generally Superman celebrates his birthday according to the Earth calendar (hence the consistent February 29th date), the one he celebrated in SUPERMAN #249 (1976) was his "sixth birthday" according to the Krypton Calendar.