Before the invention of the calendar, only kings celebrated their birthdays as no records were kept on common people!
The first children's birthday parties occurred in Germany and were called Kinderfests. It was thought that having birthday parties and giving gifts would bring cheer and ward off evil spirits.
The traditional party song "Happy Birthday to You" was written as a classroom greeting in
1893 by two Louisville teachers. It was first copyrighted in 1935 after a lawsuit and in 1988, Birch Tree Group Ltd. sold the rights of the song to Warner Communications.
Balloons were invented in 1824. Latex balloons are biodegradable and come from rubber trees. Latex harvesting does not hurt the tree and they can produce latex for up to 40 years!