Between the 1970s and 2025, at least eight world leaders across Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and the United States have held military parades to mark their own birthdays — often as tools of state propaganda, personal glorification, or regime-strengthening rituals.
Most notably, North Korea institutionalized this practice across three generations of the Kim dynasty, while authoritarian rulers like Saddam Hussein and Nicolae Ceaușescu used birthday parades to project power. In 2025, the tradition saw a democratic twist when Donald J. Trump scheduled a massive U.S. military parade on June 14, coinciding with both the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary and his own 79th birthday.
Data Source: Historical archives, international media reports, and U.S. Department of Defense announcements
Visualization: Venngage
Legit shocked Putin has never done this
not a data visualization. Just a few thoughts which you put on an image
Ah the list of fine gentlemen
There’s a military parade every year for the British monarch’s birthday. It’s called [Trooping the Colour](https://youtu.be/aoEQyhHPJx4?t=2134), and the emphasis is on pageantry to the point that it’s all a bit archaic; there are plenty of horses and historic artilliery, but no tanks.
I thought it was a coincidence it was on his birthday and was actually the 250 year anniversary?
Arbitrary order and not chronological? Yes very beautiful! /s
Does trooping the color for the queen of England’s birthday count? I don’t think the King is having one this year.
The parade is not for his birthday, it’s on his birthday. How can you blame Trump for having the same birthday as the founding date of the US army?
Just for those wondering why China isn’t there, Mao did do this to varying extents, but his successors believed focusing the nation around one person was disharmonious and not in keeping with the military serving the state instead of its ruler.
Chinese media often makes cheap jokes at North Korea for these.
Not data, not beatiful. No chronology even though presented as a timeline. Pretty much just agenda. Well done, op.
![Heads of State Who Held Military Parades for Their Own Birthdays [OC]](https://www.europesays.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/tiymu9cq9a6f1-1014x1024.jpeg)
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Between the 1970s and 2025, at least eight world leaders across Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and the United States have held military parades to mark their own birthdays — often as tools of state propaganda, personal glorification, or regime-strengthening rituals.
Most notably, North Korea institutionalized this practice across three generations of the Kim dynasty, while authoritarian rulers like Saddam Hussein and Nicolae Ceaușescu used birthday parades to project power. In 2025, the tradition saw a democratic twist when Donald J. Trump scheduled a massive U.S. military parade on June 14, coinciding with both the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary and his own 79th birthday.
Data Source: Historical archives, international media reports, and U.S. Department of Defense announcements
Visualization: Venngage
Legit shocked Putin has never done this
not a data visualization. Just a few thoughts which you put on an image
Ah the list of fine gentlemen
There’s a military parade every year for the British monarch’s birthday. It’s called [Trooping the Colour](https://youtu.be/aoEQyhHPJx4?t=2134), and the emphasis is on pageantry to the point that it’s all a bit archaic; there are plenty of horses and historic artilliery, but no tanks.
I thought it was a coincidence it was on his birthday and was actually the 250 year anniversary?
Arbitrary order and not chronological? Yes very beautiful! /s
Does trooping the color for the queen of England’s birthday count? I don’t think the King is having one this year.
The parade is not for his birthday, it’s on his birthday. How can you blame Trump for having the same birthday as the founding date of the US army?
Just for those wondering why China isn’t there, Mao did do this to varying extents, but his successors believed focusing the nation around one person was disharmonious and not in keeping with the military serving the state instead of its ruler.
Chinese media often makes cheap jokes at North Korea for these.
Not data, not beatiful. No chronology even though presented as a timeline. Pretty much just agenda. Well done, op.
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