Let's make this birthday one to remember.

73 years old (Born on January 14, 1952)

Happy Birthday, Maureen Dowd! Another year wiser, yet still polemical enough to make politicians squirm and readers chuckle. Your razor-sharp wit continues to slice through the absurdities of politics with a style that's both timelessly fierce and surprisingly hot—proving once again that brains and beauty can coexist splendidly in one columnist.

From your Pulitzer-winning zingers to recent columns skewering Washington's latest follies, you've kept us entertained (and certain public figures nervously checking their inboxes). May this birthday bring you as much joy as your writing brings discomfort to those who deserve it—and laughter to all the rest of us.