Imagine going through most of your life celebrating what you thought was your birthday, only to discover that you may have been blowing out candles on the wrong day that whole time.
For a brief moment in time, that seemed to be the reality for late Beatles guitarist, George Harrison. Or so a rumour would have us believe.
The original birthday
In the cold and early hours of 25th February 1943, the date stated on his birth certificate, George Harrison was born. A home birth, Harrison had entered the world in a tiny terraced home at 12 Arnold Grove, Liverpool.
In an article from 1964, it was reported that it was family tradition for Harrison’s mother to call him at 12:10 a.m., the 'precise time he was born'. So why then was there a sudden reason to think that date and time wasn't his real birthday?
A rumour begins
This is where things start to get confusing. Sometime in the 1980s, an alleged hospital document appeared out of nowhere. It apparently detailed that Harrison was born on the 24th February 1943, shortly before midnight. Only about 20 minutes before his original birth time but, nevertheless, a different day. The guitarist went on to announce the discovery of his new birthday to the world.
At the time, many took this all for face value. People truly believed that the star actually had been born on the 24th and it was listed as such by multiple sources. Most notably, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame changed their listing - although it has since been amended back to the 25th.
A 2001 issue of Billboard Magazine also stated his birthday as the 24th February.
It was a notion that made enough sense. Some speculated Harrison’s mother may have been tired - mistaking which side of midnight she had given birth.
However, others began to connect the dots. Harrison had been born at home. There would have been no hospital note like the one that had been newly presented. His sister and mum also repeatedly stated that Harrison’s birthday was the 25th.
Who started it?
So just where could this mysterious bit of paperwork have come from? It seems the answer to that would be Harrison himself.
Being the youngest in both the band and in his family, it seems he was naturally doing what youngest children do best: provide the jokes.
It was a prank of sorts, and a successful one at that, having confused the public for several years. In fact, it still continues to trip people up to this day.
Although no one can confirm the true reasoning behind the playful prank, one can only assume that Harrison liked the drama that came with having two birthdays. We are given a glimpse into this cheekiness by Olivia Harrison, his now-widow.
“If you said happy birthday to George on the 24th, he would say, ‘oh, my birthday isn’t until tomorrow’, so when you said happy birthday to him on the 25th, he’d reply, ‘oh, sorry, you missed it - my birthday was yesterday!’”
Amusing that this would come from the supposedly ‘quiet Beatle’.
While we have gone back to celebrating just the one birthday for the youngest Beatle, it seems apt to have two special days for a special man.
Perhaps, just to amuse the ghost Harrison, we should observe both the 24th and 25th.
Happy belated/non-belated birthday George!
