SpongeBob Squarepants is one of the most iconic cartoon characters of the last few decades. Created by Stephen Hillenburg and launched in 1999, the show has delighted fans all over the globe, and the franchise is still going strong. And today, the show’s enduring legacy was on full display as fans took to social media to wish SpongeBob a happy birthday.
The celebration started when several accounts posted a screenshot of SpongeBob’s driver’s license. This license shows that SpongeBob’s date of birth is July 14th, 1986, making the sponge 36 years old today.
Nickelodeon, the network that initially broadcast SpongeBob Squarepants in the U.S., posted a celebratory tweet that reads: “every day is a @SpongeBob day, but today is extra special.”
Many posted their favorite birthday-themed gifs and clips from the show. SpongeBob jumping out of bed is the most popular, with many threads being full of that gif.
Some users are pointing out that SpongeBob’s date of birth makes him a Cancer. Rude Astrology summed up this line of discussion with their tweet that simply declared:
“SpongeBob is a Cancer?”
Users are debating if this is a fitting star sign for the fun-loving sponge. Some have gone into more detail and made a complete astrological chart for SpongeBob.
One user noted that “Only a Cancer would prepare food with the utmost TLC, and I’m not even mad about it…” while including a gif of SpongeBob’s very gentle Krabby Patty-making technique.
Other users are pointing out that SpongeBob’s date of birth makes him a millennial, which makes all of his struggles even more relatable. One user noted that “So he’s a millennial” while another pointed out that if SpongeBob is a millennial, then “Sponge Bob’s probably smoking weed to treat his IBS like the rest of our generation.”
Many different tweets touch on the fact that many fictional characters have their canon birthdays today. Especially because it leads to very odd character combinations. One user posted one of the strangest mixes, saying:
Happy Birthday also to Kujou Sara, Kasumi Toyama, Spongebob Square Pants, Anna, and my mom
Some people pointed out that July 14th is also celebrated for other reasons. Including one Twitter user who noted that July 14th is also International Non-Binary people’s day.
Another user takes this further by noticing that the driver’s license lots of users are posting has a surprising choice of colors. They noted that:
wait … so today is international nonbinary day and Spongebob’s birthday AND Spongebob’s license photo is purple and yellow???
And, of course, users are posting memes about the day, including one that reiterates SpongeBob’s age in the funniest way possible.