Let's make this birthday one to remember.

78 years old (Born on January 14, 1947)

Happy Birthday, Taylor Branch! You've chronicled history so vividly that even Martin Luther King Jr. himself would probably say, "Wow—I did all THAT?" Your Pulitzer Prize-winning trilogy has not only enlightened readers but also made historians everywhere secretly jealous of your storytelling skills.

From capturing the heart and soul of America's civil rights movement to earning accolades like the National Book Critics Circle Award (and nearly snagging a National Book Award), you've set an impossibly high bar for historical writing. May this birthday be as timelessly memorable as your work—and may you continue making history come alive!