Good news, humanity: the majority of us have finally cracked the code on squiggly lines! Over 86% of the world’s population can now read and write, an all-time record. That means billions of people can now enjoy novels, decipher IKEA instructions (well, at least attempt to), and text their exes regrettable but grammatically correct messages.

Think about it, just a few centuries ago, literacy was reserved for monks, nobles, and people with suspiciously large feather quills. Today, even your grandma can roast you in the family group chat with a perfectly punctuated “LOL.”

This isn’t just about books, either. Literacy opens the door to better jobs, stronger communities, and the ability to understand why your toaster manual insists on “not drying hair.” It’s one of humanity’s quiet superpowers: turning little symbols into shared knowledge.

So here’s to reading, writing, and occasionally regretting what we put in writing. Progress never looked so eloquent.