Beloved by millions, advice columnist Ann Landers (1918–2002) was born Esther Pauline Friedman on this day in Sioux City, Iowa. The daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants, she shared a unique bond with her identical twin, Pauline Esther—known as “Popo”—who penned the rival “Dear Abby” column.

“The naked truth is always better than the best-dressed lie,” she once said. Known affectionately as Eppie, Landers began her column in the Chicago Sun-Times in 1955 after winning a contest to replace the original Ann Landers. By 1993, her column was syndicated in over 1,200 newspapers, reaching nearly 90 million readers daily.

“All the column means to me is an opportunity to do good in the world,” she reflected. From her Chicago penthouse overlooking Lake Michigan, she often wrote from midnight until 4 a.m., preferring her trusty typewriter over computers, and sometimes even composing while in the bathtub.

“Opportunities are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don't recognize them,” she observed. Outspoken, clever, and caring, she described her appeal: “I'm the lady next door, their best friend, the mother they couldn't communicate with before, but they can now. Most of all, I'm a good listener.”

After her death from multiple myeloma, colleague Bob Greene remarked, “There was absolutely no wall between Ann Landers and her readers. It went straight from her to them. I don't think there has ever been the kind of mutual trust and affection between writer and reader as there was with Eppie.”

Ann Landers was a cultural force—her advice column wasn’t just popular; it was a national mirror. What made her special wasn’t just the advice, but the emotional honesty, wit, and tough love she delivered it with. She had a knack for speaking directly to people’s hearts while challenging them to rise higher.