Birthdays

Michael Hess of San Bernardino wears a blindfold as he is led through the front door. It's not really a blindfold, it's the red belt from his sister's jacket. His mom, Heather Hess, and her fiance, Tony Canedo, have been keeping the details of Mikey's fifth birthday party a secret, not an easy task. Mikey has questioned them relentlessly for months. Finally the blindfold comes off. Mikey's big blue eyes take slow inventory.

As cities and schools across California celebrated the 82nd birthday of slain gay rights activist Harvey Milk, Orange County elected leaders remained steadfastly silent. Activists, for the second year, asked Orange County supervisors Tuesday to recognize Milk's birthday with a proclamation, but the board declined the opportunity, as it did last year. One of the supervisors, Janet Nguyen, walked from the board room shortly after the activists began their presentation. Last year, Nguyen also left the meeting as the activists spoke.

Willie Nelson -- who celebrates his 70th birthday today -- shows no sign of slowing down. Instead of taking the day off, he'll play the Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City, La., one of more than 200 dates this year. "We've been doing it so long it's like a regular routine. It's good for us just to keep hitting it every day," he said.

Want to say happy birthday to the Golden Gate Bridge ? There's an app for that. OK, not quite, but the National Parks Conservancy had a free GoGGBridge app created to help celebrate the big day. (An Android version is to be released before the bridge's birthday on Sunday.) Here are some of its fine points and some of its lesser points. --A tap of the finger can make you a GG Bridge expert. The Nuts & Bolts facts include the bridge's length (1.7 miles long), weight (887,000 tons)

Pop stars will be in the front row helping former South African President Nelson Mandela celebrate his 85th birthday on Friday. Destiny's Child singer Beyonce Knowles will host "Meeting Mandela: A Staying Alive Special," in which Mandela addresses the African HIV/AIDS epidemic, the Israel-Palestinian conflict and other political and social issues. The one-hour show, shot in Johannesburg and being carried internationally, airs in the U.S. Friday at 8 p.m.

As the sun set in a blaze of orange, President Clinton celebrated his 51st birthday Tuesday with a clambake dinner at the home of actors Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen. Clinton and 75 others partied late into the night to the strains of rock star Jimmy Buffett, who sang his signature song "Margaritaville" to great applause. Much of this area's celebrity population showed up at the festivities, including singer Carly Simon, television talk show veteran Merv Griffin and author William Styron.

In a showcase of Britain's best pomp and pageantry, soldiers in scarlet tunics and bearskin hats marched in formation to celebrate the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. The queen turned 81 on April 21. But one of the many perks of wearing the crown is a second, official birthday in June, marked with the annual Trooping the Color parade. Thousands lined the parade route to catch a glimpse of the royals.

President Wilson tried to bring the United States into the League of Nations, but Congress voted him down. He also tried to block Prohibition and failed. Despite the setbacks for his administration, he turned out to be one of the most prescient of presidents. "I can predict with absolute certainty that within another generation there will be another world war if the nations of the world do not concert the method by which to prevent it," he said in a 1919 speech.

President Nelson Mandela got the birthday wish of his dreams Saturday, upstaging his own 80th bash by quietly taking the hand of Graca Machel of neighboring Mozambique in marriage. "They exchanged rings and kissed, and the president said this was the first time he was kissing her," said Deputy President Thabo Mbeki, who confirmed what had become South Africa's worst-kept secret. "I think they just decided it would be a good thing to do on his birthday."

Ruth Hochmuth knew exactly what she wanted to do to celebrate her 100th birthday this weekend. She and a dozen of her fellow residents at Beverly Nursing and Rehabilitation Center trooped over to Lanark Park on Friday morning to clean it up for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday. "I'll do anything to give pleasure to anybody else," said the spry woman who will become a centenarian Sunday.

As its 75th birthday fast approaches, the Golden Gate Bridge is getting a little birthday present. Even though about 40 million vehicles cross it each year and visitors come in droves daily to admire and photograph it, the spectacular span has never had a visitor center. That is, until this month. "The bridge experience up to this point has just really been self-guided and a photo opportunity," said David Shaw, vice president of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. "Now there's this bridge pavilion, which is a really nice welcome center.

Imagine a well-appointed table on a stone balcony overlooking Italy's storied Lake Como. Red wine, white roses, Rande Gerber and Cindy Crawford, perhaps a drop-in from Brad and Angelina — it's a possible scenario for Oscar-winner George Clooney, who will celebrate his 51st birthday Sunday and has a home there. Those Angelenos not invited to Italy can still enjoy a meal themed for the date, however, at Santa Monica's Locanda del Lago, which specializes in Italian cuisine. For the second year in a row (the 50th birthday was a big deal)

Keith Miller got a beast of a wake-up call Thursday morning. The 71-year-old had just stepped outside his Altadena home to get the newspaper when he saw "this huge bear, looking like a Volkswagen, staring at me," Miller said. "It ran one way and I ran the other. " Before Miller made it back inside, he turned to see where the bear - which had been snacking on leftover birthday cake tossed in a garbage can - was headed. That's when he saw two cubs scamper up an oak tree in his frontyard.

Film can be an unstable environment - and not just in the executive suites. Take for example the 1973 Oscar-winning best film "The Sting,"which had chemical stains over several frames in the original negative. Steven Spielberg's landmark 1975 shark thriller "Jaws" showed the ravages of time with nasty tears in the original negative, notably the scene in which Quint (Robert Shaw) arrives at the town meeting on Amity Island. These are some of the challenges facing technicians performing digital restorations of 13 classic movies as part of Universal Studios' 100th birthday celebration.

Today is the 448th birthday of William Shakespeare -- that is, if you believe the widely held assumption that the Bard was born on April 23. Like many things involving the greatest playwright in the English language, the day of his birth is shrouded in mystery. Shakespeare is believed to have been born on this day in 1564 but there is no official record that confirms it. The future writer was baptized on April 26 and it was customary at the time for infants to be baptized three days after birth.

Once there was a time when Andre Ethier was king of the walk-offs, when his swing was golden, when he threatened to make a run at the triple crown. Then came a broken pinkie, then a banged up knee, and then the uncertainty. Ethier looked plenty healthy when he ripped through spring training on an extra-base tear, and he hasn't let up to start the regular season. Ethier revisited his game-winning ways in the Dodgers' home opener Tuesday, celebrating his birthday by driving a solo home run in the eighth to propel the Dodgers to a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is giving visitors a birthday present next year: free admission. "Every guest gets in free to one of our parks on their birthday in 2009," said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. To qualify, visitors to Disney's U.S. parks have to show identification and proof of birth date. More information is at www.disneyparks.com, where birthday visits can be registered in advance. Visitors with multiday passes or who are otherwise already ticketed on their birthdays can get a one-day ticket for use in the following year; a "Fastpass" for immediate use for four rides for up to six people; or a voucher with a dollar amount equal to the free ticket, usable toward merchandise and other purchases.

About 250 needy children will benefit from the generosity of a girl who gave up presents at her birthday party, instead asking each guest to bring a toy for a less fortunate child. Each year, Chelsea Duff's family performs an act of kindness during the holidays and this year was no exception. So when her 8th birthday was nearing in September, her mother gave her two choices: Have a small party at home or do something really big to help others.

Last year, Catalina Express marked its 30th anniversary with a gift to passengers: free boat rides on their birthdays. Now the company is extending the freebie offer that's good for a round-trip ticket until next spring. The deal: To take advantage of the Free Ride on Your Birthday pass, you have to begin travel on your birth date and return anytime within 30 days. Make sure you have a valid ID too. Start by registering online. Once you receive an e-mail confirmation, print out the pass and make reservations for a boat online or by phone.

Club Mud is the longtime nickname given to Glen Ivy Hot Springs . The indoor-outdoor day spa in Corona known for its natural clay mud has a sweet birthday treat: Book a spa treatment on your birthday and get free admission for the day. The deal: The offer requires a 50-minute or longer spa treatment, such as massages (different types to choose from) that start at $99. Admission with a treatment usually costs $39 Mondays-Thursdays and $52 on weekends and holidays, so that's the savings in the birthday special.