The Oregon Zoo‘s famous pachyderm, Packy, was born on April 14, 1962. He was the very first baby elephant to be conceived, born and to survive in a zoo in the United States.

The Sunday Oregonian reported on the auspicious event on the front page:

It’s a boy!

Bell, who has been elephanticipating for 635 days, presented the nation with its first home-born elephant in 44 years at 5:58 a.m. Saturday.

Mother and her fuzzy-faced baby are doing fine. In fact, “Fuzzy-Face” made his public debut at the elephant house six hours after birth when he and his mother made an appearance behind the glass in the show window of the elephant house. . .

His tail is longer than his trunk. His eyes are bigger than his appetite, red-rimmed and brown like his mother’s. He is altogether ridiculous, but obviously the apple of his mother’s eye.

Fuzzy-Face, named Packy in a radio contest, is now one of the largest Asian elephants in the country, 10 feet 6 inches tall at he shoulder and weighing over 6 tons.

And this Saturday, April 14, 2012, the zoo is throwing a 50th Birthday Party for Packy.

The schedule:

9 a.m. – zoo gates open
10 a.m. – party begins, with live music, games and activities throughout the day
Noon – cake is served to partygoers courtesy of Lamb’s Wilsonville Market
1:45 p.m. – competition winners parade Packy’s cake to the elephant exhibit
2 p.m. – Packy gets his cake and is knighted by the Royal Rosarians
4 p.m. – Packy’s party ends and gates close

For more details on the party and the special day at the zoo, visit the Oregon Zoo website.