Let's make this birthday one to remember.

79 years old (Born on April 12, 1945)

Happy Birthday, Serge Schmemann! Another year older and wiser—though we're pretty sure you already maxed out on wisdom when you brilliantly covered Germany's reunification. Winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1991 was impressive enough; managing to explain complex geopolitics clearly is practically a superpower.

From your insightful reporting at The New York Times and Associated Press to your knack for making history feel fresh (and occasionally funny), you've set an impossibly high bar for journalists everywhere. May this birthday be as memorable as that historic day in Berlin—but hopefully with fewer deadlines and more cake. Cheers to many more adventures ahead!