Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern does a walk about in Northcote to support Labour candidate Shanan Halbert during this month's byelection. Photo / Dean Purcell

Here comes the baby: How the world is reacting

Author: NZ Herald,
Publish Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2018, 8:15AM

If Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford's baby is born today it will share a birthday with royals, philosophers, human rights activists and musicians.

Ardern, 37, has gone into labour this morning with her soon-to-be first child.

The Prime Minister's Office has confirmed Ardern arrived at Auckland City Hospital at 5.50am, with her partner Gayford, 40, to have her baby.

On this day, 36 years ago, Diana, Princess of Wales, gave birth to her first child, Prince William, at St Mary's Hospital in London.

A year later, in 1983, United States National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden was born.

Also sharing the date of June 21 are Indonesian President Joko Widodo, United States musician Lana Del Rey, French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre and former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who was the first head of government to give birth while in office.

The news of Ardern going into labour this morning has sparked news coverage around the world.

The New York Times is leading the international coverage, posting a story under the headline "Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand's Prime Minister, is expected to have her baby soon".

Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s Prime Minister, is expected to have her baby soon https://t.co/uxNSx9tNMz pic.twitter.com/U2Pt7OFMjC
— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) 20 June 2018

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has entered Auckland hospital to have her baby. Winston Peters is now Acting PM. @SkyNewsAust
— James O'Doherty (@jmodoh) 20 June 2018

Jacinda Ardern has now entered the hospital to have her baby. Winston Peters is now officially Acting Prime Minister.
— Yvette McCullough (@YvetteMcC) 20 June 2018

Kiwis are also reacting across social media this morning at the news.

Everytime I hear about @jacindaardern pending/actual labour it makes me teary with pride in our small forward thinking country.
— Grace Maguire (@WhatWudGraceDo) 20 June 2018

Whilst #POTUS is ruining children's lives... #NewZealand's Prime Minister is delivering a new one into the world: https://t.co/IpVUyXqfJK #leadershipwithheart @FoxNews @cnni @ABC @NBCNews @CBSNews @latimes @nytimes @CBCNews @abcnews @NewsHour @dwnews @rtenews @rtne_ws @BBCWorld
— Mr Paul Octopus (@OctoPaulee) 20 June 2018

Everytime I hear about @jacindaardern pending/actual labour it makes me teary with pride in our small forward thinking country.
— Grace Maguire (@WhatWudGraceDo) 20 June 2018

Labour volunteers messaged me in excitement early morning about @jacindaardern & @NZClarke baby. So I am sipping tea on the balcony and looking at the hospital from across the road like one of those royal baby watchers outside Lindo wing at St Mary’s hospital pic.twitter.com/wKTq1B9h2w
— Dr Gaurav Sharma (@gmsharmanz) 20 June 2018

Famous people born on June 21

Prince William, 1982
Joko Widodo, Indonesia president, 1961
Lana Del Rey, musician - June 21, 1985
Edward Snowden, NSA whistleblower, 1983
Jean-Paul Sartre, French philosopher, 1905
Benazir Bhutto, former Pakistan prime minister and first female leader of a Muslim nation (also the first head of government to give birth while in office), 1953
Shirin Ebadi, Iranian lawyer and human rights activist and first Muslim woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize (2003), 1947