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How did you celebrate your 21st birthday? Because if the answer isn’t documenting your night at Tao Las Vegas on a Canon digital camera and posing with an elaborately decorated fondant cake in the shape of a roulette table, I frankly don’t know what you were doing.
Fortunately, though, you can always live vicariously through several dozen celebrities celebrating their 21st birthdays, mostly in the aughts (meaning some truly alarming fashion is coming your way), always with giant cakes and sparklers, and often featuring Paris Hilton, reigning Queen of 21st Birthday Parties.
But just some quick helpful 21st birthday party facts before we get started: If you’re wondering why celebs celebrated their birthdays in public in front of cameras back in the day, most of these photos were taken before Instagram was a thing. Or, more specifically, before Instagram sponcon was a thing. Meaning, instead of endorsing random toothbrush brands and protein powders, celebrities spent their time getting paid to host parties that would then get covered in the media and give a ton of exposure to the venue of their choice. It was a wild time!
On that note, come for some truly glorious pics of celebs wearing casual plastic tiaras, and stay for some throwback gems—including some 21st birthdays from Old Hollywood. Because, yep, turns out famous people have been going all out for their big day in the name of publicity for a while now (hi, Sophia Loren).
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Paris Hilton
One birthday cake SIMPLY WAS NOT ENOUGH.
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Paris Hilton
Also, Kris Jenner was at this party wearing a “Like a Virgin” tank top, so.
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Paris Hilton Again
Paris’ 21st birthday celebrations were a multi-event, multi-outfit kinda vibe, kay?
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Paris Hilton
Nope, not done yet!
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Ciara
Kay, moving on from Paris. No one has ever been more excited to see a birthday cake than Ciara on her 21st.
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Alexis Bledel
*immediately heads to Netflix and turns on Gilmore Girls*
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Side Note: Lauren Graham Was There
“Where you lead, I will follow.” — me to this cake
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Naomi Campbell
Never thought I’d have FOMO for the year 1991, but here we are!
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Mickey Rooney
Literally crying over this pic of Mickey Rooney with his mom and then-girlfriend (later wife) Ava Gardner.
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Sofia Richie
While this photo looks straight outta 2004, it is, in fact, from just a few years ago.
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Lauren Conrad
The girl who never went to Paris turns 21!
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Kristin Cavallari
Not to be outdone, Lauren’s Hills rival also had a blow-out 21st birthday, complete with multiple mini Canon digital cameras.
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Michelle Trachtenberg
Nothing says “mid-aughts celeb turns 21” like blowing out a sparkler at Tao Las Vegas.
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Solange Knowles
She is a literal angel!
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Yep, Queen Bey Was There
The Knowles sisters > everyone.
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Lindsay Lohan
Tell me you turned 21 in 2007 without telling me you turned 21 in 2007.
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Lindsay Lohan
She WAS the moment.
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Stavros Niarchos
Mostly including Stavros as an excuse to post another Paris Hilton pic.
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Raven-Symoné
That feeling when you put your fingers up in a 21 and ended up flashing a 12.
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Cassie
Just Cassie side-eyeing herself in cake form.
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Ed Westwick
It’s giving Chuck Bass…and I’m not mad.
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Heidi Montag
Not to be outdone by Lauren and Kristin, Heidi ALSO had a huge birthday party for her 21st that the press just happened to be invited to.
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Brenda Song
No one has been more shocked to see a cake show up at their birthday party!
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Brooke Hogan
Never seen a person look so distrustingly at a pile of frosting.
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Francia Raisa
Back when she was in her Secret Life of the American Teenager era.
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Rumer Willis
It’s the Elvis impersonator for me.
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Rob Kardashian
In case anyone was wondering, I also owned this beaded bracelet.
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Rachel McCord
If your 21st birthday doesn’t involve posing with a riding crop, I’m not sure what the point is.
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Ashlee Simpson
Pretty sure this was her Autobiography phase.
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Jack Osbourne
I have a lot of questions about the photo of Jack that was chosen for the top of this cake. Mostly: why.
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