Happy Birthday to Disneyland! The American theme park that Walt Disney dreamed would be a place “dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America” has proved a joy and inspiration to the world. Since it opened 54 years ago, the park has touched the lives of more than 515 million visitors.

Read up on fun facts about Disneyland below:

*Disneyland first opened July 17, 1955.

*The most popular attraction (based on attendance) in Disneyland is Pirates of the Caribbean.

*Over the drawbridge entrance of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle is the Disney family’s crest.

*Steve Martin was a employee at the Magic Shop on Main Street years ago.

*In 1959, the Matterhorn Bobsleds coaster opened. It was the first tub steel roller coaster.

*For the Opening of the It’s a Small World ride, each country represented had a child dressed in appropriate costume. The child poured water brought from their native country so they could share, in a ceremonial style, the idea of being a small world.

Thanks to Walt Disney for creating this magical place so many of us have enjoyed with family and friends. We will never forget the happy memories made on rides like It’s a Small World–if only because we can never get that song out of our heads again! Learn more about the history of that famous ride, and meet the artists who created it below:

Having traveled to Japan, France and New York City, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie opted for a mellow first birthday for their globetrotting twins, Knox and Vivienne.

The family birthday party was held at their home in Los Angeles, and older siblings Maddox, 7, Pax, 5, Zahara, 4, and Shiloh, 3, all helped out baking cakes. Brad’s folks, Bill and Jane Pitt, flew out from their hometown of Springfield, Mo., to celebrate the big day.

The simple celebration is a good reminder of what really matters on a birthday: having the people you love in one place.

He’s been called a “brilliant idiot,” and if you’ve seen even one Will Ferrell movie, you know that he’s a natural funnyman. He knows it too. “I’m not a big overthinker, and it’s really worked out for me,” Ferrell told Time Magazine. “I’m just trying to live within the scene on that day, and 80% of the time things will pop into my head and out of my mouth.”

While many successful comedians play variations on the same character repeatedly, Ferrell has shown the capacity to take on a wide variety of roles. This is partly attributable to his talent for impersonation, and partly due to his talent for creating his own characters.

For instance, Ferrell seems completely in his element in “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,” the 2004 hit movie that he co-wrote with Adam McKay. The film, rated as one of Bravo’s 100 funniest movies, pokes fun at the culture of the 1970s, particularly the then-new Action News format.

“I’m Ron Burgundy, reporting to you from the mean streets of San Diego,” he says in an opening scene. “So mean in fact that I am frightened for my life! Guess what citizens? A political radical who’s been eluding authorities is living here among you–but I’m now going to rip the lid off of it!”

Ferrell first garnered national attention as a cast member of Saturday Night Live. He went on to star in a string of comedies such as A Night at the Roxbury, Stranger than Fiction, Talladega Nights, Semi-Pro, Step Brothers, and Land of the Lost, and now moonlights as a commencement speaker.

Last year Will Ferrell spent part of his 41st birthday working at the ESPYs where he joking accepted the “male athlete of the year” award for Tiger Woods, and gave some funny interviews. We hope that this year he finds the time to celebrate! Here’s wishing him the happiest of birthdays! Watch funny highlights from his role in Anchorman below.

Here’s a Theme Thursday post from party planning expert Lisa Kothari of Peppers & Pollywogs. Lisa is a big fan of the American Cancer Society’s movement for more birthdays. And today she offers tips on how to party and do good at the same time:

Celebrate at the Car Wash!

Given the nice weather during summer, it would be an excellent idea to combine a birthday party with a car-wash fundraiser. This is a particularly good idea if your teen is interested in having fun with his or her friends as well as giving back to a favorite charity. Since everyone has so much stuff these days, this idea may appeal to her and catch on with others.

If this interests you, here are some top tips for organizing your Car-Wash Party:

* Have your teen decide what charity the donations will go to.

* Call and ask the charity about your plan and what they need. For example, if it is a favorite local library, do they need more books? If it is the humane society, do they need pet care items? Of course, they could always request monetary donations as well.

* In your invitation, explain the aim of the car wash. Ask the guests to bring an adult with a car to the party for washing. Instead of bringing a gift, have the parents pay for their car wash with items that the charity needs or a donation in whatever amount they would like to give.

* Also, ask everyone to dress appropriately for the car wash. They are going to get soapy and a bit wet.

* Set up in the driveway of your home and place “car wash” signs all over the front yard.

* Have everyone work together to wash the cars thoroughly and in quick time.

* Have a special place for the payments, such as a bucket for cash donations or a large box for items being donated. Decorate this container with the logo of the charity.

* If you want the adults to know a bit more about where their donations are going, provide a flyer with this information as the receipt for the car wash.

* After the car wash is complete, the kids can hold a water balloon fight!

Hopefully, this idea will catch on since everyone wins: The birthday teen has a fantastic charity in mind to support, everyone gets to work together and have fun washing cars and playing water games afterwards, the adults feel good about their donations going to a worthy cause, and, ultimately, the organization benefits from the party. Everyone wins at this one, and it is really budget-friendly as well.

Lisa Kothari is the founder and president of Peppers and Pollywogs, a kids’ party planning company that provides parents with ideas, entertainers, and interesting web-based tools (customized rhymes and cards for your invitations!) to make kids’ party planning easy. She has recently written and published Dear Peppers and Pollywogs…What Parents Want To Know About Planning Their Kids’ Parties which is available at Amazon.com and Peppers and Pollywogs.

Former South African president Nelson Mandela called for the world to observe his 91st birthday this Saturday by volunteering. “It is our hope that people will dedicate their time and effort to improve the conditions within their own communities,” said Mandela in a videotaped message.

This year Mandela Day will be observed for the first time, in honor of the South African icon, who became the country’s first black president in 1994. People worldwide will be asked to dedicate 67 minutes of their day to community service. That number represents the number of years Mandela took up the struggle for equality in South Africa.

“It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it. Mandela Day will not be a holiday but a day devoted to service.” To find out how you can help create a world with more birthdays, visit morebirthdays.com.

Kody Lucas turns 17 this Saturday and he has a special birthday request. The upcoming high school junior from Perry, Georgia, is asking that instead of giving him presents people donate blood or bone marrow. (For all his public spirit, perhaps it’s fitting that Kody shares the birthdate of Nelson Mandela!) Read excerpts from a story about Kody’s birthday wishes:

Kody Lucas is going to be turning 17, and he wants a gift from you. The gift of life.

The Perry High School upcoming junior requested that for his birthday, a blood drive and bone marrow registry be held.

If you are thinking this is not a typical birthday party for a teenager, you are right. But then, Kody is not a typical teen.

Kody was diagnosed in 2007 with anaplastic astrocytoma — a brain tumor. He has undergone surgery that removed part of the tumor, chemotherapy and radiation at St. Jude’s Children Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

But being sick isn’t what makes Kody atypical.

“He has always been a little older than his years,’’ said his mom, Donna Moss. “He is very generous, very giving. If somebody gives him $20, he is going to spend it, but he is going to spend it on somebody else.”

Moss said that Kody’s naturally generous spirit had only been escalated by what he had witnessed during his own illness.

“He has seen the devastation that cancer has had on other families, and it has really affected his outlook from day to day,” she said…

Kody returns to St. Jude’s every three months for a round of testing but is hoping that soon his trips will be reduced to twice a year.

His idea for his birthday party was inspired by the blood that he has received — at least 10 transfusions since he was originally diagnosed…

“All I want to do is to help as many people as I can that are going through what I am,’’ Kody said…

While Kody has signed up 200 blood donors, the goal is for twice that many. The party will have hamburgers, hot dogs and birthday cake for 500 participants.

T-shirts designed by Kody will be on sale. On the back are 40 names of other children that Kody has met who are also fighting cancer…

Happy Birthday to Kody! To find out how you can create a world with more birthdays, visit morebirthdays.com.

Flowers can be an important part of celebrating special occasions, and for many people certain blooms communicate certain sentiments. For instance, irises traditionally mean inspiration while lavender means distrust. What makes the best birthday flower?

For those interested in the historic meanings of flowers, the Society of American Florists has compiled this list from a variety of different sources. Read up your favorite flowers so that next time you’re choosing flowers for your birthday, or for the birthday of a loved one, you’ll be strike the right chord.

To help create a world with more birthdays, visit morebirthdays.com.

The animated sea sponge (who more closely resembles a kitchen sponge) turns 10 years old today. SpongeBob is currently ranked among Nicktoon Network’s most-watched shows, and is broadcast worldwide. It was created by animator and former marine biologist Stephen Hillenburg, and is the second longest-running Nicktoon, next to the Rugrats.

So Happy Birthday to SpongeBob Squarepants! Watch SpongeBob sing the “Fun Song” below and read this SpongeBob birthday meditation from the Philadephia Inquirer’s Jonathan Storm.

A birthday tribute concert for Michael Jackson will be held this August at the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The King of Pop whose death shocked the world on June 25th, would be celebrating his 51st birthday next month.

The show’s lineup will feature “cast members in current shows on the Strip to the big guys, along with some bands,” Jersey Boys star Erich Bergen told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Other components to the show will be announced at a later date.

Here’s to celebrating the King of Pop. Watch him sing “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough”, the debut single from his July 1979 Off the Wall album.

Happy Birthday to Harrison Ford! Best known for his performances as the title character in the Indiana Jones film series and as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy, the American actor turns 67 today. He has also starred in films such as Blade Runner, Witness and Patriot Games. He was ranked # 1 in Empire‘s “The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time,” and the National Film Registry has inducted five of his films. Ford ranked as the third highest grossing U.S. box-office star in July of 2008, with domestic grosses of almost $3.4 billion and worldwide grosses surpassing $6 billion.

Let’s celebrate watching him for years to come!