Born in 1936: the Rat

1936 is a yang year, a Fire Rat. In the traditional calendar it carries the two-part name 丙子 (bǐngzǐ), year 13 of the 60-year cycle. The Fire element adds a dynamic, warm and a little restless streak to the Rat's base character (quick-witted, resourceful, adaptable), and this is the active, outgoing half of the cycle.

The 1936 lunar year ran from January 24, 1936 up to the day before Chinese New Year 1937 (February 11, 1937). If you were born on or after January 24, 1936 you are a Rat; if you were born earlier in 1936, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Pig. Someone born in 1936 turns 90 in 2026 (or 89 until their birthday for the year).

Calendar note: 1936's Chinese New Year fell on a Friday, and that lunar year ran 384 days — a long, 13-month year with an inserted leap month.

What the Fire element adds

Fire is the element of summer, energy and passion. A Fire year turns the volume up — more drive, more warmth, more willingness to take a risk — but also a shorter fuse and less patience for slow, routine work.

The full 60-year cycle pairs each of the 12 animals with each of the 5 elements, so a Fire Rat year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 1936 was 1876, and the next is 1996. People born in it are said to combine quick-witted and resourceful with the element's dynamic nature. Every Rat year is yang (the active, outgoing type). See the Fire element and the full Fire Rat profile.

1936 at a glance

Animal	🐀 Rat (鼠)
Element	Fire
Yin or yang	yang
Traditional year name	丙子 (bǐngzǐ)
Place in the 60-year cycle	13 of 60
Zodiac year runs	January 24, 1936 to February 10, 1937
Age in 2026	89–90
Traditional best match	Ox
Traditional hardest match	Horse
Lucky numbers	2, 3
Lucky colors	blue, gold, green

Rat compatibility

In the traditional chart, a 1936 Rat gets on best with the Ox (the "secret friend" pairing), and also with Dragon and Monkey. The hardest pairing is the Horse, six years apart in the cycle. See the full Rat compatibility table.

Where a birthday around 1936 lands

The zodiac year does not follow the calendar year, so 1936 is spread across two calendar years. This table shows exactly which animal a birthday gets.

Birthday	Zodiac animal
January 1 to January 23, 1936	Pig (the 1935 year)
January 24, 1936 to December 31, 1936	Rat
January 1, 1937 to February 10, 1937	Rat (still the 1936 year)
February 11, 1937 onward	Ox (the 1937 year)

Zodiac years ahead for a 1936 Rat

The next own-sign year for someone born in 1936 is 2032, around age 96, then 2044, around age 108. Tradition calls this your běnmìngnián. Despite being "your" year, it is thought to clash with Tài Suì (the God of Age) and to carry a higher chance of setbacks, so many people wear red through it for protection.

The element pair: 1936 and 1937

Fire years come in pairs. 1936 is the yang year and 1937 is the yin year, the Ox. So a 1936 Rat and a 1937 Ox share an element and sit one year apart in the cycle. The traditional chart rates the Rat and Ox pairing as excellent: one of the six classic 'secret friend' pairings — a naturally supportive, stabilizing match. See the Rat and Ox pairing.

Other Rat years

1948 1960 1972 1984 1996 2008 2020 2032 2044

Full Rat personality profile →   Rat compatibility with every sign →

Know your exact birth date? Use the calculator for your full combination →

What a Fire year changes for the Rat

Talking. In conversation, a Fire Rat leans further into action, saying yes before thinking it all the way through, which is the main way 1936's version differs from the same animal born under another element.

Work. Fire intensifies and adds urgency to the Rat's usual working style, so a 1936 Rat tends to run things hotter and faster than most. The kind of work the sign suits stays the same; the element changes how the job gets done.

Love. Fire is the element of summer, energy and passion, so in a relationship a Fire Rat shows affection loudly and quickly.

For the sign as a whole (how the Rat communicates, works and loves in every element) see the Rat profile. This page covers what is different about 1936.

Known Rats

Well-known Rats — sharing the animal though not this exact 1936 birth year or Fire element — include King Charles III, Cameron Diaz, Eminem, Katy Perry. None of the people listed here were born in the 1936 lunar year, but they're commonly cited as examples of the Rat's quick-witted streak.