Honestly depending on your age I would start accepting that birthdays are really just another day. Treat yourself to a nice dinner or desert if you prefer, but don't beat yourself up if you don't have a crazy time. Just enjoy a nice stress free evening =).
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.