Category: centenarian

The Secret of Okinawa’s Centenarians: Aging Gracefully Without Losing Mental Sharpness

For thousands of years, people have been searching for the “elixir of immortality,” but where can we uncover the secret to longevity? In Okinawa, Japan, the number of centenarians is remarkable, with 90 individuals (pdf) per 100,000 people—three times higher than the number in the United States among a similar population. Mr. Lobsang Gyaltsen, an…


How Can You Live a High-Quality Long Life? World’s Oldest Practicing Doctor Shares Tips

What is the maximum lifespan for a person? How long can a person work? Dr. Howard Tucker, an American neurologist, will celebrate his 101st birthday in July. He has been practicing medicine since 1947 and has only recently retired from seeing patients. In 2021, the Guinness World Records named him the world’s oldest practicing doctor….


Okinawa Boasts Astonishing Number of Centenarians

Japan boasts the second-highest life expectancy in the world, according to World Health Organization statistics. The country has 90,526 people over the age of 100, according to a September survey (pdf) by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. Among this record number of golden agers, the island of Okinawa has 1,334 centenarians, including 152 men…


Georgia Couple Who Both Served in WWII Celebrate 100th Birthday and 73rd Anniversary This Year

A longevous couple from Johnson County, Georgia, have spent the last 72 years happily married together. More remarkably, the pair, Josephine and Wilbur “Flip” Jackson, this year celebrated another notable milestone—they both turned 100 years old. He celebrated his big day in early February, while she had hers six months earlier. The pair first met on a…


What Is the Key to Japanese Centenarians’ Long Lives?

Data from people who live well over 100 years have revealed a unique gut microbiome community that affects bile acids. STORY AT-A-GLANCE Data from a group of centenarians whose average age was 107 revealed gut microbiota that include Odoribacteraceae, which reliably produces a bile acid called isoallo-lithocholic acid, are important to preventing illness A strong…


105-Year-Old Runner Sets New World Record in 100m Track-and-Field Race in Senior Games

A hurricane wearing running shoes swept across the track at Louisiana University Track Complex in Hammond last month, crossing the 100-meter finish line to set a new world record. Running the race solo, Julia “Hurricane” Hawkins on Nov. 6 made sport history at the 2021 Louisiana Senior Games. In one fell swoop, she became the…


School Patrol Guard WWII Vet Celebrates 100th Birthday; School Throws Him Surprise Party

A Georgia elementary school helped one of their crosswalk patrol guards celebrate a very special birthday last month. Mr. Thomas Faucette, a retired postal worker and World War II veteran, turned 100 on Sept. 30, and staff at Peck Elementary School in Greensboro where he works made sure to honor their very special patroller on…


Navy Helps Widow Celebrate 100th Birthday by Flying Her Around Ship Named After Late Husband

On her 100th birthday, the widow of the Navy’s first master chief petty officer in World War II visited the ship named after her late husband. The birthday girl was welcomed aboard the USS Delbert D. Black at Naval Station Mayport in Florida earlier in July to celebrate her 100th year of life. Irma Black…


Seal Beach Centenarian Celebrates a Lifetime of History-Making Moments

When 104-year-old Cliff Pedersen was born, Woodrow Wilson was president and women had yet to have the right to cast their vote. The spry Seal Beach, Calif. war veteran is a walking chronicle of information and experience, a man who has witnessed a lifetime of the tragedies and triumphs that make for a breathtaking compilation…