Jerry Seinfeld Turns 59: A Look Back At The Comedian's Observations

Jerry Seinfeld has never been a fan of the top button on dress shirts. The comedian known best for being the highlight of millions of Americans' "Must See TV" lineup for nine seasons throughout the 1990s turns 59 on Monday.

Jerry Seinfeld is indeed a native New Yorker, originally from Brooklyn. He grew up on Long Island where he reportedly met one of his best friends, Mike Costanza, the inspiration for the un-"successful" version of Jerry Seinfeld's character on his sitcom. His father, Kalman Seinfeld manufactured signs. In a number of shots on "New York Street", the Hollywood set where many of "Seinfeld"'s outdoor scenes were shot, the logo of a building reads "Kal's Signs", likely in honor of his late father.

He later met comedian Larry David, and indeed lived across the hall from a unique neighbor named Kenny Kramer, who after finding out Michael Richards would be portraying him, and not himself, began a tourist attraction in New York City which reportedly visits a number of "Seinfeld" sites. The tour no doubt includes the much-visited "Tom's Diner" at 112 Street and Broadway near Columbia University, the source of the show's iconic "RESTAURANT" exterior shot.

Playing a partial representation of himself, Jerry Seinfeld was the straight-man of NBC's famous foursome, and the main protagonist of absolutely nothing...which in this case wasn't a bad thing. Much has changed for Jerry Seinfeld in the nearly 15 years since "Seinfeld" anchored Thursday nights. He has since married, and he and his wife Jessica have three children. His name is not in the news or in entertainment circles very often either, as he seems to maintain a more private persona.

However, to many fans, it's as if Jerry Seinfeld was still as much of a household name as his fabled favorite breakfast of Cheerios. "Seinfeld" is syndicated in reruns all over broadcast television, and many of the comedian's observations still bring pause to many Americans today.

Thanks to Jerry Seinfeld, many flyers take pause entering the bathroom on their transcontinental flight, noticing indeed how much of a miniature version of their own commodes the cramped space really is. Especially in this time of heavy security in airports, it's even more of a conundrum as to the reason for the existence of a depository for used razor blades.

The comedian's observations have indeed caused many to think about ordinary, mundane moments in a new light. Many people likely see themselves paying much closer attention to the expiration date on a bottle of milk, in case it may be "after the day!" stamped on the side of the carton.

When commuters are sitting at a traffic light on their way home, they might just get that pesky nose itch. But, instead of just going ahead and stopping the itch with a quick scratch, they pause, noticing there are a number of lanes of similarly stopped traffic on either side. There's no way of knowing who is watching them from their blind spot, and may later misconstrue an "itch" for a "pick".

Who can forget character Jerry's elevator-lobby confrontation with the woman who caught him allegedly "picking". "I am not an animal!" Seinfeld proclaims as the doors shut, turning around to face the stunned businessmen watching the spectacle.

It might well have been Jerry Seinfeld's portrayal of the straight-man character that allowed Kramer, Elaine and George to have such memorable moments themselves. While the show centered on Jerry Seinfeld, the person, each and every episode seemed to center around one of the other characters. There was George's 'shrinkage' problem, Elaine's search for just the right socks for Justin Pitt, and Kramer and Newman being allegedly spit on by the Mets' Keith Hernandez' "magic lugie". There have been a few times, however, that Jerry Seinfeld does become the center of the action, such as when his questionable advice eventually leads to Pakistani restauranteur Babu Bhatt being deported. Bhatt, played by Brian George, famously labels Jerry as a "very bad man!"

All the while, especially in the case of the 'spitter', Jerry Seinfeld was crucial to each of the storylines and the show's overall success: even offering the program's first, and final line, "that top button is in the completely wrong spot".