Let's make this birthday one to remember.

89 years old (Born on February 18, 1936)

Happy Birthday, Jean M. Auel! You've taken us on unforgettable journeys through prehistoric Europe, making cave life seem oddly appealing and mammoth hunts strangely relatable. With nearly fifty million copies sold, your Earth's Children series has proven that even cavemen can have bestseller status—who knew stone tools and saber-toothed cats could be so trendy?

From the gripping pages of "The Clan of the Cave Bear" to its cinematic adaptation, you've shown us that storytelling is timeless—even when set thousands of years ago. May your birthday celebration be as epic as Ayla's adventures—but hopefully with fewer woolly mammoths crashing the party!