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Have you wondered just how old Hello Kitty is? We know her dimensions (five apples tall, with a weight of three apples), but we never really stop to think about how old this adorable little cat is. Surely she’s still in her early 20s, right? How else could someone have the energy to work so many different jobs??

Well, if you thought so, you’re wrong! Hello Kitty was born on this day 39 years ago.

That’s right, the cutest kitty in the world is almost 40!

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Born on November 1, 1974, the character has been inspiring adoring fans to scream “Kawaiiiiiiiiii!” for almost four decades without even opening her mouth. Not many pop stars, entertainers, or artists can claim that kind of staying power, can they? It’s a true testament to just how adorable she is! It also means that there are now at least three generations of Hello Kitty fans with her charming face plastered over their bags, phones, and eyes.

From her humbling beginning sipping milk in London to her reincarnation as a horrifyingly cute zombie, the cat has proven nearly unstoppable and continues to be one of Sanrio’s most popular characters. In fact, we honestly believe that she might be the most recognizable cat in the world. Well, unless you’re too drunk to see straight.

▼ Beer so cute, your kids will get drunk just looking at it.

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Though Kitty-chan is starting to get up there in years, we really don’t need to worry about her losing her luster. After all, she’s the same age as Penélope Cruz, Christian Bale, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jenna Jameson, Eva Mendes, Hilary Swank, and Seth Green! That’s a pretty impressive list of celebrities, in our opinion. She’s clearly in good company–well, maybe except for Seth Green. As long as she doesn’t start making bad Star Wars jokes, we think Hello Kitty will be just fine!

Obviously, 39 isn’t quite as exciting or, depending on your perspective, depressing as 40, and we’re sure that Sanrio will have a whole host of events and limited edition goods for our eager hearts next year. But for now we’d like to wish the cutest kitty in the world a Happy Birthday!

Be sure to check out our mini-album of Hello Kitty’s recent adventures!

▼ Despite how influential she is, Hello Kitty just can’t seem to pick a job.
Here she is as a tasty snack.

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▼ The best nikuman in the world: Kitty-man! We wonder what “cute” tastes like…

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▼ And here she is collaborating with the Nameko mushroom.
Yeah, we don’t know, either. This must have happened after she tried her beer.

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▼ The four flavors of Taiwan’s Hello Kitty beer!

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▼ The cute cat has even worked with the Takarazuka Revue!

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▼ Kitty-chan has a cafe in Korea, too! Her arms must get tired flying there every day.

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▼ Somehow the adorable kitten also manages a restaurant in China!
She must have an army of clones working for her…

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▼ The world-famous cat even has her own jet in Taiwan.

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▼ Unfortunately, as cute as Hello Kitty is, you’re out of luck, boys.
The dashing lad on the left is her boyfriend, Daniel.

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▼ Happy Birthday, Hello Kitty! Here’s to many, many more!

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All photos by RocketNews24

[ Read in Japanese ]