One of Britain’s two greatest prime ministers of the 20th century, and one of the greatest people who has ever lived, Lady Thatcher, is celebrating her 80th birthday today. The Reuters picture show here shows her in frail health, but looking absolutely beautiful.

Lady Thatcher is one of history’s most authentic revolutionaries. She not only put the ‘Great’ back into Britain, she spread freedom all through the entire world. She was a leading revolutionary in the demise of the Soviet empire, making freedom possible for hundreds of millions of people. She ended Argentina’s dirty war, toppling its dictatorship, bringing freedom not only to millions of people oppressed by communism, but millions of people oppressed by fascism, something for which she has never been given rightful credit.

She was a powerful free-market economic revolutionary, giving Hong Kong its currency board in 1986, ensuring that the territory would always be a beacon of entrepeneurship and prosperity that would inspire even its master, Red China, to stabilize its own currency and unleash the creative energies of its people. What Lady Thatcher did in Hong Kong was a cornerstone for the establishment of property rights through rule of law. She enacted a very real revolution from below.

She also was resolute against terrorism, tolerating none of it, and when an IRA terror attack came fearsomely close to her personally, she led by example, declaring that all terrorists could go to hell, and in Britain, it would be “business as usual.” She was just too strong for her enemies. In Britain, they often marveled at her steadfastness, saying to themselves, ‘The Lady’s not for turning.’

Lady Thatcher restored the West’s capacity for backbone in the aftermath of the Jimmy Carter and Harold Wilson era, transforming Britain from a strike-wracked stagnant socialist state to a capitalist powerhouse, and in true radical style, reintroduced the nation to its Victorian entrepreneurial values, making Britain remember what it was and really is. But even her own party didn’t quite seem to understand her. There was a simple reason for this: She was a true revolutionary, centuries ahead of her time, a woman for the ages. It is noteworthy that all of her revolutionary accomplishments have been lasting revolutionary accomplishments, not passing changes. Completely grounded in an understanding of human nature, Lady Thatcher showed extraordinary courage and foresight all through her magnificent life.

Happy Birthday and God Bless You, great Lady Thatcher.

UPDATE: More tributes can be found here, here, and here.