Today marks one of the greatest days in history. Now, I am not talking about some important historical date we all learned for one history test or another. In fact, I am not even talking about national ice cream day–which is one of my favorite days of the year. What I am speaking of is far greater. Today, Aug. 27, is the day which marks the birth of Peter Benjamin Parker, aka one of the world’s greatest heroes.

While Aug.1 may be National Spider-Man Day, today is much more important. Without it, we would have never been blessed with the charm, wit, chivalry and relatability of Peter Parker. In fact, today proves he truly is our friendly neighborhood hero; his birthday just saved this Monday from lacking cause for any sort of celebration.

For those of you who are not so blessed to be as obsessed with Peter Parker and the Marvel Universe as I, here is a quick rundown of his history. Basically, Peter was born and raised in Queens, one of New York City’s famous five boroughs. He was orphaned at a young age when his parents were killed in a plane crash. He was raised by his Aunt May, and adored his Uncle Ben, who really became the father figure in his life; Uncle Ben’s death was a pivotal point in Peter’s development as a character–it motivated him to become the kind of hero we know and love him for being today.

Most of us have at least heard the origin of his powers, so I will not bore you with details, but he was bitten by a radioactive spider which gave him spider-like abilities. Some of these include enhanced strength, speed, reflexes, stamina, agility and as Peter calls it, a “Spider-Sense.” With the help of all his newfound, superhuman capabilities, Peter became “your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.”

While his arachnibilities (arachnid abilities–haha I’m clever) are definitely defining characteristics of Spider-Man, what really makes Peter stand out from the crowd of heroes with superhuman awesomeness is his relatability. While the world sees the mask and the hero, in his high school, Peter Parker is nearly invisible. He faces the same struggles we all face during this challenging and awkward part of our lives. He stresses about school, friends, bullies, family, and relationships just like the rest of us; he is a massive nerd, just like me.

One of the only differences separating his coming of age story from many of our own is that he often holds the weight of the world on his shoulders. No biggie. But honestly, Peter is the gold standard for goodness in several cases. I bet not many are aware that in the original comics, Peter could not lift Thor’s hammer because he was too good for Mjolnir (Mjolnir is the name of the hammer, pronounced “myeul-neer”). Peter was not worthy of wielding the hammer because he refuses to kill. Mind. Blown.

Not only is Peter the dictionary definition of successfully leading an extraordinary double life (kind of like Hannah Montana, however it should go without being said that Peter is better), but his alter ego exists solely for the sake of others. (Hannah Montana can’t say that, now can she?) When Peter Parker suits up and becomes Spider-Man, he does so in the service of humanity, not for the fame or appreciation that comes along with being an Avenger.

In case I have failed to sum up the level of awesomeness Peter reaches on a regular basis, he can demonstrate for himself. How many people can be quoted to say, “Just a typical homecoming on the outside of an invisible jet, fighting my girlfriend’s dad,” other than our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man? That’s right–no one. Peter is the best, and that is one of my favorite quotes ever because it demonstrates the fact that Peter regularly sets the standard for coolness. Okay, back on track.

Before I conclude this inadequate tribute to one of the world’s greatest heroes, I would like to present you with a quote from “Spider-Man: Homecoming” director, Jon Watts. “Have you ever seen the video of the kid with the Spider-Man pinata? He just sets the stick down, walks over, and gives the Spider-Man pinata a hug,” said Watts in an article published by “The Independent.” “He doesn’t want to hurt his Spider-Man. He loves him! And I think that’s a universal feeling towards Spider-Man. You just can’t help but love him.”

Happy birthday, Peter. Thank you for everything, Spider-Man.