Five generations, One Birthday

Imagine having the same birthday as your mother grandfather and other family members. It sounds unusual, but one American family has made history with this rare coincidence.

The Harlow family from Iowa has five generations born on September 14, earning a place in the Guinness World Records.

A Birthday tradition across generations

Fred Harlow was born on September 14, 1972.  His mother Edie, was also born on the same date in 1949, while his grandfather Weber was born on September 14, 1907.

The tradition continued with Fred’s daughter, Emma Bell, who was born on September 14, 1997.  Her son, Arthur was then born on the same date in 2025.

After Arthur’s birth, the family decided to officially apply for a Guinness World Records certificate.

A Special family coincidence

Fred said the shared birthday feels like a special gift.  He explained that the family always found it strange and interesting but they never imagined it could become a world record.

Emma said she grew up hearing her grandmother predict that her son would also be born on September 14.  She was determined to keep the family’s unusual birthday tradition alive.

Arthur’s birth on the exact date made the family even more excited. Emma said her grandmother would have been thrilled if she had been alive to see it.

The family also noticed another interesting pattern. The birthday tradition began with Weber and has followed a boy girl boy girl boy pattern across the five generations.