  The prescient remark by Baade and Zwicky that supernovae beget neutron stars
did little to prepare us for the remarkable variety of observational
manifestations such objects display. Indeed, during the first thirty years of
the empirical study of neutron stars, only a handful were found to be
associated with the remnants of exploded stars. But recent X-ray and radio
observations have gone a long way toward justifying the theoretical link
between supernovae and neutron stars, and have revealed the wide range of
properties with which newborn compact remnants are endowed. We review here our
current state of knowledge regarding neutron star-supernova remnant
associations, pointing out the pitfalls and the promise which such links hold.
We discuss work on the ranges of neutron star velocities, initial spin periods,
and magnetic field strengths, as well as on the prevalence of pulsar wind
nebulae. The slots in neutron star demography held by AXPs, SGRs, radio-quiet
neutron stars, and other denizens of the zoo are considered. We also present an
attempt at a comprehensive census of neutron star-remnant associations and
discuss the selection effects militating against finding more such
relationships. We conclude that there is no pressing need to invoke large black
hole or silent neutron star populations, and that the years ahead hold great
promise for producing a more complete understanding of neutron star birth
parameters and their subsequent evolution.
