Zendaya Marks 30th Birthday with Never-Before-Seen Throwback Photo

The "Euphoria" star marked the milestone birthday by reflecting on the past year and thanking her fans for their support. Her mother's touching response to the post proved just as popular with followers.

Zendaya is ringing in her 30th birthday with a walk down memory lane and a message of gratitude. The "Dune" actress took to social media on Wednesday, September 2, to mark the occasion with a heartfelt post.

"I can't thank ya'll enough for making the last year of my twenties so beautiful," Zendaya wrote. "I have so much to be grateful for and so much to look forward to, with love as always….here's to 30!!!!!🥹."

Alongside the message was a throwback photo showing a young Zendaya seated on a carpeted floor, beaming at the camera. She's dressed in a pink spaghetti-strap top paired with lavender plaid pants and light blue sneakers with navy accents.

Her curly hair is pulled back into pigtails secured with red hair ties, and she's captured mid-pose, kneeling with one arm resting across her knee. The post drew a flood of birthday wishes from fans and famous friends alike, but none were sweeter than the tribute from her own mother.

Claire Stoermer also took to Instagram to celebrate her daughter's birthday. "Happy 30th birthday to the love and light of my life!! even tho you're not on socials anymore, and you won't see this!! we just got off facetime!! 🤪☺️ [sic]," she joked.

Alongside her caption, Stoermer shared a childhood photo of a young Zendaya standing barefoot in the doorway of a wooden playhouse, gripping the frame on either side.

She's wearing a turquoise floral-print dress with a ruffled hem, her curly hair once again in pigtails. She gazes off to the side with a serious, slightly guarded expression, framed by log-cabin-style walls and flower boxes flanking the doorway.

Fans responded to the doting mom's post with just as much enthusiasm. "How does it feel knowing you birthed the star of an entire generation?" one fan quipped. "Aww, thank you for raising such a beautiful human being! happy birthday to zendaya 💗 [sic]," another gushed.

"Happy birthday to your gorgeous daughter ❤️. She means so much to me and to many people around the world. She's such an inspiration 🤍," a third shared. Famous faces also joined the chorus of well wishes.

Tina Knowles wrote, "Happy Birthday beautiful Zendaya ❤️ Hi Claire ♥️🙏🏽." Actress Jurnee Smollett added, "The sweetest face!!!!!! 🥳🎉🎂 happy birthday to your beautiful human!!"

Zendaya was born September 1, 1996, to Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu Coleman. Her parents, both former teachers, divorced in 2016 after eight years of marriage but have remained close.

Zendaya is the former couple's only child together, though she has five older half-siblings on her father's side. Stoermer has long served as a guiding influence in her daughter's life.

She spent nearly two decades teaching in underfunded schools in Oakland, California, before transitioning into arts administration. Zendaya has often credited her mother with instilling in her a strong work ethic and a deep appreciation for education.

"Growing up, I watched my mom teach in the heart of Oakland, Calif., at inner-city schools that were always underfunded," Zendaya told Teen Vogue in 2016. "My mom went above and beyond, working constantly to open her students' eyes to an education that could lift them far beyond their current circumstances."

Zendaya has also said her mother shaped her approach to beauty. "My beauty icons are the women in my life. My mom didn't wear makeup; I don't think she knew that to me, it was empowering that she didn't care," she told Vanity Fair in 2019.