My husband’s grandmother turned 100 today.
She credits her longevity to good genes. Her mother and her grandfather lived until they were 99. In fact, her grandfather was just four days short of reaching his 100th birthday.
Although it is a huge milestone to reach, turning 100 is not as unusual as it was when her grandfather or even mother were near the marker.
Yes, Willard Scott replied with a letter, but now so many requests come in for 100+ birthdays that turning 100 doesn’t usually make it on television.
However, living to celebrate your 100th birthday is a momentousness feat. The volume of changes that have occurred over the past century are mind boggling. Not to mention, the vast amount of disease, disasters, and conflicts there have been during her lifetime.
She survived the Spanish Influenza of 1918, the Great Depression, both World Wars, the Polio epidemic, and so much more. She saw the development of commercial radio, television, cable, phones, satellites, computers, space travel, and so much more. She saw the development of cancer treatments, vaccines, MRI’s, and so much more.
My husband’s grandmother is no doubt correct that genetics had a lot to do with her celebrating her 100th birthday. I can’t help but to think that her independent spirit and her strong will have also helped.
Plus, she had/has many of the things the “experts” say helps to have a happy, vital life. She is a college graduate who had a career working into her late 80’s. She has seven children. She “adopted” several teens and young adults who knew her children. She also has 20 grandchildren, 40 great grandchildren, and 3 great-great grandchildren.
I think she may have summed up her attitude about her 100th birthday best at her party. When family and friends would congratulate and thank her, she would say, “Why? I didn’t do anything. It is just genetics.”
Among the others born in 1910 are:
- Boy Scouts
- Campfire Girls
- Mother Teresa
- William Hanna – cartoonist
- Samuel Barber – composer (Barber’s Adagio)
- Scatman Crouthers – actor/musician
- Jaques Cousteau – sea explorer/photographer/inventor
- Jane Wyatt – actress
- Robert Merton – sociologist (coined self-fulfilling prophecy)
No person on this list reached their 100th birthday though.
