Kurt Cobain 46th Birthday, Nirvana Fans Celebrate Late Rocker's Life Nearly 20 Years After Death

February 20th, 2012 would have been Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain's 46th birthday if he were still alive. It has been nearly 20 years since that fatal day when Cobain shot himself at the age of 27. Still, Nirvana fans have taken to the internet, namely Twitter, to express their love for the grunge rock legend.

"Kurt Cobain" was trending on Twitter Wednesday morning as Nirvana fans young and old tweeted out their favorite quotes from the deceased singer. @SoBeLive tweeted:

""I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." ~ Kurt Cobain was born on February 20, 1967"

Other fans simply tweeted out "Happy Birthday" messages to the troubled rock star. @TehBlackParade tweeted:

"Happy birthday, Kurt Cobain. Your legacy will live on through your music & those who look up to you. Have a good one!"

Despite killing himself in 1994 at the age of 27, Cobain will go down as one of the most iconic rock singers ever. Cobain was the voice of a grunge rock generation that exploded in the early 90's. Despite his early exit, his legend continues to grow years after his death.

Nirvana's success opened the door to mainstream music fans for other Seattle grunge bands such as Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. Nirvana has sold over 50 million albums worldwide, most notably, their 1991 major-label debut Nevermind. The lead single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" propelled Nirvana to fame in early 1992. The single is still considered by many to be one of the greatest ever.

Despite Cobain's massive success and worldwide fame, the singer will likely be remembered more for his life's troubled end than his rise to the top of the music world. Cobain's final years included struggles with heroin addiction and depression.

Many books and films have been created chronicling Nirvana and Cobain's life. According to Contact Music there is a Kurt Cobain biopic that filmmaker Brett Morgan hopes will come out in 2014. Maybe the most controversial film about Cobain was the 1998 documentary Kurt & Courtney by Nick Broomfield that looked into the possibility that Cobain was murdered.

There have been numerous theories over the years as to what actually happened on the day Cobain died, but Nirvana fans clearly want to remember the singer for the his impact on grunge rock and a generation of music lovers. Instead of remembering the tragic end to Cobain's life, let's celebrate the Nirvana singer's birthday by remembering his musical impact on a generation. Happy 46th birthday Kurt Cobain.

How will you remember Kurt Cobain?