Happy Birthday, Lady Gaga: Pop Superstar Is 26!

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Happy birthday to the pop superstar, who, with more than 23 million albums sold and five Grammys, is mighty accomplished for any age, let alone the tender age of 26.

While Gaga—aka Stefani Germanotta from NYC—has carefully crafted an always-on image and cultivated one of the most loyal fan bases in music, she hasn't been devoured by the fame monster.

Instead, she has used her celebrity to advocate for AIDS education and gay rights and, most recently, she launched the Born This Way Foundation to combat bullying and other alienating social constructs that affect young people.

Not to mention, in the past few years she's managed to hatch from a giant egg, wear meat and stuffed frogs, single-handedly support the wig industry, and add at least 12 inches to her slight frame with gravity-defying boots.