Chinese new year dates
Every year from 1924 to 2033 with its animal, element and the exact date the year began. This is the table that settles January birthdays.
| Year | Began | Animal | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1924 | 5 February | Rat | Wood |
| 1925 | 24 January | Ox | Wood |
| 1926 | 13 February | Tiger | Fire |
| 1927 | 2 February | Rabbit | Fire |
| 1928 | 23 January | Dragon | Earth |
| 1929 | 10 February | Snake | Earth |
| 1930 | 30 January | Horse | Metal |
| 1931 | 17 February | Goat | Metal |
| 1932 | 6 February | Monkey | Water |
| 1933 | 26 January | Rooster | Water |
| 1934 | 14 February | Dog | Wood |
| 1935 | 4 February | Pig | Wood |
| 1936 | 24 January | Rat | Fire |
| 1937 | 11 February | Ox | Fire |
| 1938 | 31 January | Tiger | Earth |
| 1939 | 19 February | Rabbit | Earth |
| 1940 | 8 February | Dragon | Metal |
| 1941 | 27 January | Snake | Metal |
| 1942 | 15 February | Horse | Water |
| 1943 | 5 February | Goat | Water |
| 1944 | 25 January | Monkey | Wood |
| 1945 | 13 February | Rooster | Wood |
| 1946 | 2 February | Dog | Fire |
| 1947 | 22 January | Pig | Fire |
| 1948 | 10 February | Rat | Earth |
| 1949 | 29 January | Ox | Earth |
| 1950 | 17 February | Tiger | Metal |
| 1951 | 6 February | Rabbit | Metal |
| 1952 | 27 January | Dragon | Water |
| 1953 | 14 February | Snake | Water |
| 1954 | 3 February | Horse | Wood |
| 1955 | 24 January | Goat | Wood |
| 1956 | 12 February | Monkey | Fire |
| 1957 | 31 January | Rooster | Fire |
| 1958 | 18 February | Dog | Earth |
| 1959 | 8 February | Pig | Earth |
| 1960 | 28 January | Rat | Metal |
| 1961 | 15 February | Ox | Metal |
| 1962 | 5 February | Tiger | Water |
| 1963 | 25 January | Rabbit | Water |
| 1964 | 13 February | Dragon | Wood |
| 1965 | 2 February | Snake | Wood |
| 1966 | 21 January | Horse | Fire |
| 1967 | 9 February | Goat | Fire |
| 1968 | 30 January | Monkey | Earth |
| 1969 | 17 February | Rooster | Earth |
| 1970 | 6 February | Dog | Metal |
| 1971 | 27 January | Pig | Metal |
| 1972 | 15 February | Rat | Water |
| 1973 | 3 February | Ox | Water |
| 1974 | 23 January | Tiger | Wood |
| 1975 | 11 February | Rabbit | Wood |
| 1976 | 31 January | Dragon | Fire |
| 1977 | 18 February | Snake | Fire |
| 1978 | 7 February | Horse | Earth |
| 1979 | 28 January | Goat | Earth |
| 1980 | 16 February | Monkey | Metal |
| 1981 | 5 February | Rooster | Metal |
| 1982 | 25 January | Dog | Water |
| 1983 | 13 February | Pig | Water |
| 1984 | 2 February | Rat | Wood |
| 1985 | 20 February | Ox | Wood |
| 1986 | 9 February | Tiger | Fire |
| 1987 | 29 January | Rabbit | Fire |
| 1988 | 17 February | Dragon | Earth |
| 1989 | 6 February | Snake | Earth |
| 1990 | 27 January | Horse | Metal |
| 1991 | 15 February | Goat | Metal |
| 1992 | 4 February | Monkey | Water |
| 1993 | 23 January | Rooster | Water |
| 1994 | 10 February | Dog | Wood |
| 1995 | 31 January | Pig | Wood |
| 1996 | 19 February | Rat | Fire |
| 1997 | 7 February | Ox | Fire |
| 1998 | 28 January | Tiger | Earth |
| 1999 | 16 February | Rabbit | Earth |
| 2000 | 5 February | Dragon | Metal |
| 2001 | 24 January | Snake | Metal |
| 2002 | 12 February | Horse | Water |
| 2003 | 1 February | Goat | Water |
| 2004 | 22 January | Monkey | Wood |
| 2005 | 9 February | Rooster | Wood |
| 2006 | 29 January | Dog | Fire |
| 2007 | 18 February | Pig | Fire |
| 2008 | 7 February | Rat | Earth |
| 2009 | 26 January | Ox | Earth |
| 2010 | 14 February | Tiger | Metal |
| 2011 | 3 February | Rabbit | Metal |
| 2012 | 23 January | Dragon | Water |
| 2013 | 10 February | Snake | Water |
| 2014 | 31 January | Horse | Wood |
| 2015 | 19 February | Goat | Wood |
| 2016 | 8 February | Monkey | Fire |
| 2017 | 28 January | Rooster | Fire |
| 2018 | 16 February | Dog | Earth |
| 2019 | 5 February | Pig | Earth |
| 2020 | 25 January | Rat | Metal |
| 2021 | 12 February | Ox | Metal |
| 2022 | 1 February | Tiger | Water |
| 2023 | 22 January | Rabbit | Water |
| 2024 | 10 February | Dragon | Wood |
| 2025 | 29 January | Snake | Wood |
| 2026 | 17 February | Horse | Fire |
| 2027 | 6 February | Goat | Fire |
| 2028 | 26 January | Monkey | Earth |
| 2029 | 13 February | Rooster | Earth |
| 2030 | 3 February | Dog | Metal |
| 2031 | 23 January | Pig | Metal |
| 2032 | 11 February | Rat | Water |
| 2033 | 31 January | Ox | Water |
Why these dates cannot be calculated by formula
The Chinese new year falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Both events are astronomical, and neither recurs on a fixed calendar date — so the table above comes from astronomical computation, not from arithmetic on the year number.
That is the reason so many zodiac calculators are wrong for early-year births. Taking the year modulo twelve is fast, simple, and incorrect for roughly one person in eight.