- Iconic yellow sponge celebrates birthday today according to driver’s licence seen in an episode
- Show is one of the longest-running cartoons in history
- SpongeBob SquarePants has an amazing record at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards
This might make you feel old: SpongeBob SquarePants has just turned 38 – although you have to admit he looks good for it.
Millennial
The ever-popular resident of a pineapple under the sea in Bikini Bottom has always maintained a childlike demeanour on the show, but his age has rarely come up. But, according to a couple of episodes from around the turn of the century where his driver’s licence could be seen, eagle-eyed viewers – or those who are good with a pause button – saw his birthday was July 14, 1986.
This makes SpongeBob a Millennial, although at least he has got himself on the property ladder with a detached house. He also shares a birthday with Dan Smith from UK rock act Bastille.
Soak up the facts
As we celebrate our favourite sponge’s birthday, here are a few facts about him:
- There have been more than 300 episodes of SpongeBob aired over 14 seasons
- SpongeBob has also been the star of three movies, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004), The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015) and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020)
- SpongeBob has had a species of fungus named after him: spongiforma squarepantsii, which was discovered in Malaysia
- SpongeBob SquarePants has won the ‘favorite cartoon’ award at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards every year for the past 16 years, and in 21 of the last 22 years. The exception? 2008, when The Last Airbender won
- SpongeBob was originally called SpongeBoy and the show was to be called SpongeBoy Ahoy! – but the SpongeBoy name was already taken by a mop company
- SpongeBob’s friend and co-worker, Squidward, despite having ‘squid’ in his name, is, in fact, an octopus – as confirmed by the show’s late creator, Stephen Hillenberg.
