Let's make this birthday one to remember.

72 years old (Born on November 15, 1952)

Happy Birthday, Rick! Another year older, another Pulitzer closer to needing sturdier bookshelves. Between your knack for unearthing historical truths and capturing groundbreaking journalism, you've cornered the market on making historians look cool—and journalists meticulously accurate.

Thanks for giving us unforgettable reads like "An Army at Dawn" and teaching us that history isn't just dates—it’s a series of fascinatingly human stories you're skilled at telling. May your birthday be as timeless as your award-winning prose and filled with fewer revisions than a first draft! Keep celebrating history—and making headlines—for many more Pulitzer-Prize-winning years ahead.