Donkey Kong came out on July 9th, 1981 as an arcade game. Players controlled Jumpman to jump over barrels thrown by Donkey Kong and climb up ladders. The end goal of each level was to save the princess Pauline. Donkey Kong was the first platform game, a gaming genre that is still very popular today. 

Celebrate Donkey Kong's birthday by playing a Donkey Kong game, reading about Donkey Kong, or watching a movie featuring Donkey Kong.