Let's make this birthday one to remember.

71 years old (Born on July 20, 1953)

Happy Birthday, Thomas Friedman! May your celebrations be as vibrant and interconnected as the flat world you've famously described. Your Pulitzer Prize-winning insights have reshaped how we see globalization—though we're still waiting for you to explain why our Wi-Fi isn't quite as seamless yet.

From "The World Is Flat" in 2005 to countless thought-provoking columns since then, you've consistently challenged us to think bigger (and flatter). Here's hoping this birthday brings plenty of laughter, joy—and perhaps a new bestseller explaining why birthdays seem closer together each year. Cheers to another trip around our increasingly flattened globe!