Contact Birthdays in Google Calendar

Google Calendar can now display the birthdays of people in your Contacts list.


Awhile back, Google added a birthday field to Google Contacts. Now, they've provided an 'interesting' Calendar that shows you your contact's birthdays.  Here's how to add it:

1. Open your Google Calendar
2. On the 'Other calendars' drop-down, select 'Browse Interesting Calendars'
3. Click the 'More' tab to display a list of interesting™ calendars.
4. Click the 'Subscribe' link on the "Contacts' birthdays and events" calendar.
5. Click the '<< Back to calendar' link to return to your Google Calendar.
6. Under the 'Other calendars' section, you should see a new calendar called "Contacts' birthdays and events". Click this calendar to hide or show the calendar.
7. Birthdays/Events are displayed with a tiny cake icon. 
   
8. Optional: Change the name of this calendar to something simple, like "Birthdays":
1. Select the 'Settings' menu item from the new calendar drop-down
2. Change the "Calendar Name:" field to "Birthdays".
3. Click [Save] button.

You may see the birthdays for your contacts that you didn't add the date to your Contacts, if they have a @gmail address,  Very likely, this information is provided by the user in their Google Profile.


Bonus: Since use Google Sync to synchronize my contacts between my Macintosh Address Book and my Google Contacts, whenever I add a birthdate to a contact (or add a new contact with a birthday), they are automatically synced to my Google Contacts, and the birthday appears on my "Birthdays" calendar. Very cool!