When it comes to his own birthday parties—and just about anything, really—President Donald Trump isn’t the least bit modest. Past festivities have included cakes in the form of Trump as Superman, a paid visit from Pamela Anderson and even a break-in by a blacklisted reporter. The president turns 72 on Thursday, but rather than speculate on what he will do to celebrate this year, we honor his own line of thinking: look to the past, not to the future. 1988: Donald Trump Turns 42 For his 42nd birthday, Trump threw a party at Trump’s Castle Hotel & Casino, which is now the Golden Nugget Atlantic City. The Washington Post reported that it was kicked off with a 15-foot spaceship that launched from the stage, sending smoke and flashing lasers toward Trump and his then-wife, Ivana. After a magician act, a group of dancers performed to a “version of Michael Jackson’s ‘Bad’ reworked to honor the real estate mogul.” A telegram from President Reagan was also reported, along with video birthday cards from Liza Minnelli, Billy Crystal, Dennis Miller and Joe Piscopo. 1990: Donald Trump Turns 44 The president’s disdain for the press can be traced back to his 44th birthday party, which took place in the Crystal Ballroom at Trump’s Atlantic City casino. According to Buzzfeed, this party occurred around the time Trump was fighting critical media coverage of his divorce from Ivana, his affair with Marla Maples and his failure to make scheduled debt payments. Though he allowed entertainment reporters to cover the event, Village Voice reporter Wayne Barrett, who had been writing muckraking stories on Trump for over a decade, was blacklisted. Barrett tried to sneak into the party by climbing a stairwell that led to a balcony connected to the ballroom. But within 30 seconds, he was in handcuffs, arrested on a charge of defiant trespass. But someone who did manage to sneak in was Timothy O’Brien, Barrett’s research assistant for his book Trump: The Deals and the Downfall. Dressed in a jacket and tie, O’Brien had been standing in the lobby when a waiter offered him a glass of champagne, mistaking him for a casino patron. O’Brien observed everything that occurred at this particular extravaganza. Trump received televised birthday messages from Dolly Parton and Elton John. Robin Leach, the host of Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous, stepped out of a giant replica of Trump’s airline (which is now bankrupt), Trump Shuttle. Also included was a skit from comedian Andrew Dice Clay and a performance by Saturday Night Live’s Joe Piscopo, in which he sang “Happy Birthday” to Trump in the voice of Frank Sinatra. 1993: Donald Trump Turns 47 This January, AOL News reported that a Reddit user named Omerga_Emperor uncovered a photo of a 1993 invitation to Donald Trump’s “Renaissance Man” themed birthday party. The invitation features an illustration of a young Trump holding a sword and sitting on a throne, with what appears to be his ex-wife, Marla Maples, sitting at his feet. Banners along the side of the invitation display the various “kingdoms” of his empire—his casinos. The invitation hailed the event as “the birthday celebration of the ages starring Renaissance man Donald J. Trump” and promised live jousting, dancing and “splendid surprises” at the Crystal Ballroom. 1996: Donald Trump Turns 50 To celebrate Trump’s 50th, Marla threw him a bash at Trump Tower that was nothing short of excess. A New York Times report revealed that a violin trio and a pianist played at the door, while attendants in white gloves offered guests glasses of champagne and strawberries. The press, of course, was given a section of its own, along the red carpet inside the front lobby. Marla had ordered customized, large-scale versions of Trump’s childhood photos (Trump with his confirmation class, on a tricycle, in the tub), a mermaid ice sculpture in the shape of herself and Trump’s favorite hors d’oeuvre—Swedish meatballs. The event’s agenda read, “7:30 P.M. D.J. Music is cut off; ‘New York, New York’ is played and the waterfall is cut off simultaneously; this is MARLA’s cue to take center stage, with DONALD at her side.” Trump had wanted his wife to sing his favorite song, “Wind Beneath My Wings,” but that was apparently where she drew the line. For the grand finale, the Superman movie theme played as a cake was wheeled onto stage. It took the form of Trump himself, dressed like Superman with a money sign on his chest, standing among all the buildings he owns. Eartha Kitt sang “Happy Birthday,” as 600 gold balloons descended from the ceiling. 2005: Donald Trump Turns 59 The Washington Post reported that the president held his 59th birthday at the Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, where Baywatch star Pamela Anderson was offered $500 to attend. Trump blew out candles on a 15-foot, three-tier cake. 2016: Donald Trump Turns 70 Trump’s 70th birthday party was thrown by an unlikely group of individuals—a little-known, right-wing Hindu fringe group in India. Trump, however, was not present at this one. The Hindu Sena, as they call themselves, hail Trump as the “savior of humanity” and a “messiah against Islamic terror.” The party, which was held in the Jantar Mantar of New Delhi, included a 15-pound cake, a grand orchestra and posters of Trump carrying a rifle. Hindu Sena national president Vishnu Gupta told The Business Standard, “We are celebrating his birthday because he is our hero. We wish that he lives for thousands of years and removes the Islamic terrorism from this entire world.” This event was met with much backlash on social media. 2017: Donald Trump Turns 71 Trump adopted a more low-key approach once he took on the role of President of the United States. On his 71st birthday last year, he turned the attention away from himself and tweeted a “Happy Birthday” to the U.S. Army, which was founded on June 14, 1775. Later that day, a shooting occurred at the Republican congressional baseball game practice, so the White House cancelled all of Trump’s public events for the day. The president gave a televised speech, expressing sympathy for the victims.<doc-sep>Today marks President Donald Trump‘s 72nd birthday. Another year, another barrage of brown-nosing tweets. This year, they came from all across the (conservative) aisle, from colleagues in the government to well-wishers in the media, to prominent figures in sports and in aeronautics. Yes, people from all walks of life (who are conservative) clamored to wish the Commander-in-Chief many happy returns: Happy Birthday, @realDonaldTrump! You have more energy than anyone I know half your age. Thank you for refusing to follow the herd that got us into quagmires at home and abroad! #MAGA2018 — Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) June 14, 2018 Retweet to join me in wishing @realDonaldTrump happy birthday! pic.twitter.com/aqv1RXgnrn — Rep. Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) June 14, 2018 Happy Birthday to @realDonaldTrump! — Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) June 14, 2018 Happy Birthday to the strongest and hardest working man I know, @realDonaldTrump I am so proud of you. #MAGA @POTUS pic.twitter.com/qMeMftFSVp — Tana Goertz (@heytana) June 14, 2018 Happy Birthday @realDonaldTrump! Thank you for fighting everyday to put America FIRST! We are the greatest country in the world and will never apologize for that. — Corey R. Lewandowski (@CLewandowski_) June 14, 2018 Wishing a very happy birthday to @realDonaldTrump! I’m honored by the opportunity to work with @POTUS as the newest Member of Congress. Thank you for working so hard for our country! ?? — Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (@RepDLesko) June 14, 2018 Happy Birthday to my dear friend President @realDonaldTrump! pic.twitter.com/7ApuNqsf1H — Governor Jim Justice (@WVGovernor) June 14, 2018 Happy birthday @realDonaldTrump ! Thank you for a successful year as @POTUS and here’s to many, many more! ? ? ?? ?#FlagDay2018 pic.twitter.com/gtavmnYEFK — Gayle Trotter (@gayletrotter) June 14, 2018 Happy Birthday President @realDonaldTrump; a man who never wavers nor back down, a job creator, a motivator, a negotiator and an ultimate deal maker. You are truly making America Great Again! pic.twitter.com/zOAZptWDOM — Diamond and Silk® (@DiamondandSilk) June 14, 2018 [image via screengrab] Have a tip we should know? [email protected]<doc-sep>Comedy Central's The Daily Show also suggested that Trump get some time in custody for his birthday in a "Between the Scenes" segment. "What do you get the man who has everything? A pair of handcuffs?" host Trevor Noah asked the audience. Noah then noted that the birthday had its ups and downs for the president. The New York attorney general served Trump with a lawsuit on Thursday, "which is Trump's favorite kind of suit," Noah joked, while Noah said Trump received a "present" with the Justice Department's inspector general report on the FBI's handling of the 2016 presidential campaign. The report found that former head James Comey had used a private email server for some bureau work (the same practice that Comey had faulted presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for) and that one FBI agent had texted someone saying, "We'll stop [Trump]" from winning the election. "I don't care what anyone says, it looks bad," Noah said. "Can you imagine if the FBI during Obama's term, like, agents were texting, and one of them was like, 'What if he wins?' and [the other] was like, 'Don't worry. He'll be born in Kenya'?" (Noah, of course, was referring to the conspiracy theory that former president Barack Obama was born outside the U.S.)<doc-sep>Today’s Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy<doc-sep>
President Donald Trump will turn 72 Thursday, but the celebration has already started. Singaporean officials surprised the president with a birthday cake lunch Monday while he was in the country for the historic North Korea summit. "Celebrating birthday," Vivian Balakrishnan, the Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs tweeted. "A bit early." Celebrating birthday, a bit early. pic.twitter.com/laVLNs7J2j — Vivian Balakrishnan (@VivianBala) June 11, 2018 While the White House did not respond to Newsweek's inquiry into Trump's plans for Thursday, here is a look at how the president has celebrated in past years. Trump's 71st birthday, June 14, 2017, was the same day a gunman opened fire on Republican congressman on a baseball field in D.C. Steve Scalise, the House Majority Whip, was wounded during the incident but made a full recovery. Trump spent the day responding to the attack. "Congressman Scalise is a freind, and a very good friend," Trump said in a press conference the day of the shooting. "He's a patriot and he's a fighter. He will recover from this assault and Steve, I want you to know you have the prayers of not only an entire city behind you, but of an entire nation." Before Trump became president, his birthday parties had a reputation for extravagance. His 42nd birthday was hosted at one of his casinos, according to the Washington Post, and featured "a 15-foot spaceship zooming from the stage to hover amid smoke and flashing lasers." The party also reportedly had "magicians and dancers performing to a version of Michael Jackson's 'Bad' reworked to honor the real estate mogul." In 1993, Trump's birthday card appeared to show him on a throne with the caption, "The Birthday Celebration Of The Ages Starring Renaissance Man Donald J. Trump." Trump has also not been shy about celebrating his own birthday in the past on social media. "Today is my birthday," he wrote in 2012. "My wish is for our country to be great and prosperous again." In 2009, Trump directed people to his Facebook page to wish him happy birthday. "Today is Donald Trump's Birthday!" his tweet said. Today is Donald Trump's Birthday! Send him your B'day wishes here: http://www.facebook.com/DonaldTrump — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 14, 2009 In April, Trump told Fox News he had not yet given First Lady Melania Trump a present for her birthday. "I better not get into that 'cause I may get in trouble. Maybe I didn't get her so much," he said. Trump added that he did get her "a beautiful card and some beautiful flowers," and that he was "very busy to be running out looking for presents." The GOP also circulated a digital birthday card supporters could sign. "Make President Donald Trump's birthday one he will never forget," the website said. To sign the card, supporters must enter their email to be added to a promotional email list. Trump was the oldest president at the start of his administration at 70 years old. Previously, Ronald Reagan held the title when he started his term in office at 69.