centenarians

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North America Has a New Oldest Person

Naomi Whitehead, 114, takes the title after Elizabeth Francis of Texas died earlier this month

(Newser) - A 114-year-old Pennsylvania woman is now believed to be the oldest living person in North America. Naomi Whitehead, who lives in a senior care community in Greenville, attained that status after Elizabeth Francis of Texas died earlier this month . Whitehead, who says she never smoked or drank alcohol, was born...

Real Explanation of 'Longevity' Is Often a Letdown
Real Explanation of 'Longevity'
Is Often a Letdown
new study
Oct 12, 2024 10:00 AM CDT

Real Explanation of 'Longevity' Is Often a Letdown

Researcher chalks it up to mistaken records or simple lying

(Newser) - Certain regions of the world are known as "blue zones" because of their long-lived inhabitants. Is it the diet? The climate? The good vibes? Turns out, it might simply be lousy record-keeping or outright fraud, reports NPR . The story cites the work of Saul Justin Newman, a research fellow...

Jimmy Carter Hits a Century
Jimmy Carter
Hits a Century
Oct 1, 2024 11:23 AM CDT

Jimmy Carter Hits a Century

After 19 months in hospice, former president reaches milestone no other commander in chief has

(Newser) - Jimmy Carter reached his 100th birthday Tuesday, reports the AP , the first time an American president has lived a full century and the latest milestone in a life that took the son of a Depression-era farmer to the White House and across the world as a Nobel Peace Prize-winning humanitarian...

Jimmy Carter to Mark 100 Years With Concert, 30 New Homes

Former president is feted on the eve of his 100th birthday

(Newser) - A benefit concert and the construction of 30 new homes are among the many events marking former President Carter's 100th birthday on Oct. 1, reports the AP . The star-studded concert at Atlanta's Fox Theatre earlier in September raised money to support the international programs of the Carter Center,...

Woman Who Skipped Thesis in 1941 Gets Master's

'It's nice to be recognized,' says Virginia Hislop, whose education was disrupted by WWII

(Newser) - A 20-something Virginia Hislop was on the verge of completing a master's degree in education in 1941 when World War II threw a wrench in her plans. She'd completed all degree requirements but a final thesis when her fiance was called to serve. Hislop abandoned her studies to...

Oldest Man in US Dies at 110. His Brain Will Go to Science

'Super-ager' Morrie Markoff remained extremely lucid for his advanced years

(Newser) - There are fewer than 160 supercentenarians —people 110 and older—on Earth, and that elite group just lost one of its own. Judith Markoff Hansen confirms to the New York Times that her father, 110-year-old Morrie Markoff, the oldest man in America, died June 3 at his home in...

106-Year-Old Reclaims Skydiving World Record

Texas man Al Blaschke's earlier record was broken by a Swedish 103-year-old

(Newser) - A Texas man born 14 years after the Wright Brothers' first flight has reclaimed his record as the world's oldest skydiver. Guinness World Records has confirmed that Al Blaschke, who turned 107 in January, broke a record in November last year with a skydive when he was 106 years...

Driver Was Uninsured, Unlicensed—and 103

Elderly woman in Bondeno, Italy, was driving an uninsured car with an expired driver's license

(Newser) - When cops ask to see someone's driver's license at a traffic stop, it's not typical for them to see a DOB that stretches back to the age of Prohibition. But in the Italian town of Bondeno, a 103-year-old woman was busted recently for cruising around in the...

Man, 100, Is Competing for Diving Title

Iran's Taghi Askari will be oldest competitor at World Aquatics Masters Championships in Doha

(Newser) - You have to be at least 25 (30 for water polo) to participate in the World Aquatics Masters Championships starting next week—but hitting the age minimum is one thing that competitor Taghi Askari won't have to worry about. The Iranian centenarian (he's exactly 100 years old) is...

At 99, She Gains World Records and 'Confidence' in the Pool

'I'm even starting to feel a bit proud of myself,' says Canada's Betty Brussel

(Newser) - Betty Brussel learned to swim in the canals of Amsterdam, where she grew up during the Great Depression. But it wasn't until her mid-60s, after she moved to Canada with her husband and raised three children, that she took up competitive swimming. Three decades later, the 99-year-old has become...

Her D-Day Forecast 'Saved God Knows How Many Lives'

Ireland's Maureen Sweeney warned of impending storm, so 1944 Normandy invasion was postponed

(Newser) - We're used to commemorating June 6, 1944, as D-Day, the day when Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy in France, helping to shift the path of World War II and defeat the Nazis. That fateful day actually came close to happening on June 5, but thanks to Maureen...

This Guy Has Spent 84 Years at the (Same) Office

Centenarian Walter Orthmann has broken a Guinness World Record

(Newser) - A man in Brazil has just broken his own Guinness World Record for the longest stint at one company. And after 84 years, Walter Orthmann is still excited to get up and go to the office. He's a 100-year-old sales manager at textile company ReneauxView, which was called Industrias...

Oldest American Dies at 115
Oldest American Dies at 115
Jan 21, 2022 11:20 AM CST

Oldest American Dies at 115

Thelma Sutcliffe was born in Nebraska

(Newser) - Less than a year after becoming the oldest living person in the United States, centenarian Thelma Sutcliffe has died, NBC News reports. She was 115 and believed to be the fifth-oldest living person in the world. Born and raised in Nebraska, she became the oldest living person in the United...

Woman Marks 100th Birthday With Her Centenarian Sisters

Lucy Pochop, 102, and Julia Kopriva, 104, helped little sister Frances Kompus celebrate her big day

(Newser) - Is there something in the water in Kansas? On Nov. 11, Frances Kompus marked her 100th birthday, celebrating with about 50 others at a party in Atwood. Also attending her centenarian soiree: her sisters Lucy Pochop, who turned 102 in June, and Julia Kopriva, who reached her 104th birthday in...

Oldest Person in US Dies, Leaving 120 Great-Great-Grandkids

Hester Ford was either 115 or 116

(Newser) - "I live right, all I know," Hester McCardell once said when asked about her longevity. The North Carolina woman, who was the oldest living American, died peacefully on Saturday at the Charlotte home where she had lived for more than 60 years, CNN reports. Her exact age was...

103-Year-Old Dives Right Out of the Sky

Al Blaschke said he wasn't doing it for himself

(Newser) - Falling from 14,000 feet up is hair-raising enough, but doing it at 103? "I never thought I would be around this long," Al Blaschke told ABC News after making his Guinness World Records-breaking leap with two grandsons. Blaschke, who tied the record back in 2017 at age...

Oregon Man May Be Oldest Coronavirus Survivor

Bill Lapschies, 104, also lived through 1918 flu pandemic

(Newser) - At age 104, Bill Lapschies has just survived his second pandemic—and he's pretty darn excited. "Woooo!"said the World War II veteran, who lived through the 1918 flu pandemic as a toddler, as he celebrated his birthday outside Edward C. Allworth Veterans' Home in Lebanon, Oregon,...

Woman Turns 100 on Her 25th Birthday

Leap day baby's longevity advice: Stay nice and calm

(Newser) - "I feel like I’m about 75," Angie Crognale said on her birthday, which could add to the numerical confusion. She turned 100 Saturday, though having been born on Feb. 29, 1920—a leap day—she's had only 25 birthdays. Crognale has been in an assisted living...

Cyclist Born in 1911 Sets World Record

105-year-old Robert Marchand is an old hand at records, says he 'could have done better'

(Newser) - A French cyclist has set a new record for riding 14 miles in one hour. If that doesn't sound so remarkable—the world record is 33.8 miles—consider the category in which Robert Marchand was competing: over 105. The retired firefighter did it the first time riding in...

IBM Working on Bot to Help Elderly Age at Home

Sensors can detect motion, scent, audio, and more

(Newser) - Assisted living facilities and personal nurses aren't exactly cheap. And as the Baby Boomer generation ages, finding affordable means of helping people age in the comfort of their own homes could be good not just for seniors, but for their wallets, too. So IBM is working on a prototype...

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