An American family has made history after five consecutive generations were born on the same date, September 14, spanning more than a century.
The remarkable record was completed following the birth of Arthur Bell on September 14, 2025, making him the fifth consecutive generation in his family to share the same birthday.
According to Guinness World Records in a report published on November 12, 2026, the unusual family tradition began with Arthur’s great-great-grandfather, Wilber Harlow, who was born on September 14, 1907.
Wilber’s daughter, Addie Harlow, was born on the same date in 1949, followed by her son, Donald Harlow, in 1972.
Donald later welcomed a daughter, Emma Bell, on September 14, 1997, while Emma’s son, Arthur, completed the five-generation sequence with his arrival on September 14, 2025.
The five relatives are Wilber, Addie, Donald, Emma and Arthur.
Guinness World Records confirmed that the family had surpassed the previous record of four consecutive generations born on the same date, which had been jointly held by seven families since the 1800s.
Emma said the family had long known about their four-generation coincidence but postponed applying for official recognition because they hoped another child would extend the record to five generations.
“We kind of always knew that we held a record with four generations, we just never applied because we had that ambition to have the fifth on 14 September,” she said.
“So we applied – better late, than never – and are now the sole record holders, instead of sharing it.”
Arthur’s grandfather, Donald, described the achievement as a special occurrence, saying, “God works in beautiful ways.”
Beyond sharing the same birthday, the five generations also maintain an unusual alternating male-female pattern: boy, girl, boy, girl and boy.
A family tradition spanning more than a century
Wilber, who was born in 1907, worked as a postmaster and owned the Harlow General Store in Brooks, Iowa. However, he died before Donald was born.
Addie, born in 1949, worked for more than 20 years as a secretary to the Chief of Police in La Vista, Nebraska. She passed away in 2023, before the birth of her great-grandson Arthur.
Guinness World Records reported that the family traditionally celebrated their shared birthdays by visiting restaurants and marking the occasion with birthday cakes and candles.
Emma and her husband, Wyatt, began to realise that their second child could extend the family record when Arthur’s expected delivery date was listed as September 14.
“It seemed like a crazy coincidence, and even more that it continued the boy-girl-boy-girl-boy tradition,” Emma said.
Donald also expressed his excitement over the latest addition to the family, describing his grandson as a miracle.
“Yup, you’re our miracle boy!” he told Arthur.
In another remarkable coincidence, Guinness World Records noted that Wilber and his wife got married in Maryville, Missouri, the same place where Emma and Wyatt first met.
The family’s extraordinary birthday tradition has now secured its place in Guinness World Records, turning a remarkable coincidence spanning five generations into a recognised world record.
