Happy Birthday, Superman!

February 29, 2012: Happy Birthday Superman!

February 29 is traditionally the day we celebrate Superman's birthday.

Why February 29? Editor Julie Schwartz declared that Superman's birthday was on February 29th in a number of letter pages during the Silver Age. Supposedly this is how Superman stays looking so young, after all he only has a birthday every four years!

In 1985's "Superman Annual #11" his birthdate is mentioned as being February 29 in an actual story. While "Time" magazine published a story in 1988 that also stated this date as being Superman's birthday.

Oddly enough, Clark Kent celebrates his birthday on a completely different day. Clark's celebrates his birthday on the day Jonathan and Martha Kent pulled him from the Kryptonian rocketship that landed in Smallville. This was established in "Action Comics #241" in 1958, and was specified in "Action Comics #263" in 1973 as being celebrated on June 18th.

Note: For some reason Geoff Johns decided to have Clark Kent celebrate his birthday on December 1 in 2009's "Superman: Secret Origin". During the Golden Age, Superman's birth on Kryptonopolis was in October, according to "Action Comics #149" from 1950.