# Oldest person whose fame does not relate to their age? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 6, 2012, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-person-whose-fame-does-not-relate-to-their-age/643171 "2012-12-06T12:06:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-person-whose-fame-does-not-relate-to-their-age/643171/1 "2012-12-06T12:06:00Z")
The death of [Oscar Niemeyer](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-20621265) at just shy of 105 led me to wonder who is/was the oldest person whose fame is unconnected with their old age? IMDB tells me that George Abbott, who wrote the screenplay for the 1930 film version of _All Quiet on the Western Front_, made it to 107. Not as famous as Niemeyer, though. ---
**Author:** ![KermitTheFrig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/47e85d/32.png) [@KermitTheFrig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KermitTheFrig)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-person-whose-fame-does-not-relate-to-their-age/643171/2 "2012-12-06T12:17:17Z")
Olivia de Havilland is 96. Her sister Joan Fontaine is a year younger. ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-person-whose-fame-does-not-relate-to-their-age/643171/3 "2012-12-06T12:58:49Z")
I think the answer is Dr Leila Denmark, one of the developers of the pertussis vaccine, who died this past April aged 114. > **[Leila Denmark](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leila_Denmark)** > > Leila Alice Denmark (née Daughtry; February 1, 1898 – April 1, 2012) was an American pediatrician in Atlanta, Georgia. She was the world's oldest practicing pediatrician until her retirement in May 2001 at the age of 103, after 73 years. She was a supercentenarian, living to the age of 114 years, 60 days. > A co-developer of the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine, Denmark was one of the few supercentenarians in history to gain prominence in life for reasons other than longevity. She started treati... ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-person-whose-fame-does-not-relate-to-their-age/643171/4 "2012-12-06T13:02:33Z")
The most recent living Queen Mother of the United Kingdom was 101 at death, and a clear case of being famous for something other than her age. John D. Rockefeller died at age 99, obviously famous long before he was old. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-person-whose-fame-does-not-relate-to-their-age/643171/5 "2012-12-06T13:10:41Z")
> [@Shmendrik](#): > > I think the answer is Dr Leila Denmark, one of the developers of the pertussis vaccine, who died this past April aged 114. > > [Leila Denmark - Wikipedia](http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leila_Denmark) I guess it would depend on definition of fame. Wikipedia has about 12 lists of famous centenarians in various categories, but most of them like Dr. Denmark I had simply never heard of before. I know that’s not necessarily a great barometer of fame, but someone like a prominent member of British Royalty is known to millions whereas a co-creator of a vaccine typically isn’t nearly as famous. For example Sasha Krasny lived to be 112 and is a Russian poet, but I’d be a liar if I said I’d even heard her name, let alone had any idea what she was famous for. An Orthodox Saint apparently lived to be 116, and was Patriarch of Jerusalem, but also probably wildly unknown except by hardcore Orthodox or hardcore theologians. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-person-whose-fame-does-not-relate-to-their-age/643171/6 "2012-12-06T13:48:29Z")
> [@Martin\_Hyde](#): > > I guess it would depend on definition of fame. Wikipedia has about 12 lists of famous centenarians in various categories, but most of them like Dr. Denmark I had simply never heard of before. I looked all of the lists and only found five that I would consider to be household names: Irving Berlin, Bob Hope, George Burns, Rose Kennedy, Grandma Moses. And frankly I don’t know whether folks outside the US would know Kennedy. ---
**Author:** ![KermitTheFrig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/47e85d/32.png) [@KermitTheFrig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KermitTheFrig)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-person-whose-fame-does-not-relate-to-their-age/643171/7 "2012-12-06T13:59:27Z")
Oh. I thought we were talking about people who are still living, but now I see the OP said “is/was.” Ignore Olivia De Havilland, then. ---
**Author:** ![hammos1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@hammos1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hammos1)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-person-whose-fame-does-not-relate-to-their-age/643171/8 "2012-12-06T14:06:45Z")
As the OP, I will arbitrarily dictate that ‘famous’ means: - own page on Wikipedia - not primarily famous for being old Dr. Denmark qualifies on the first point, but the opening paragraph of her Wiki page focuses on her supercentarian status (and why not- she was at one point the 4th oldest person on Earth). ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-person-whose-fame-does-not-relate-to-their-age/643171/9 "2012-12-06T14:10:26Z")
> [@anson2995](#): > > I looked all of the lists and only found five that I would consider to be household names: Irving Berlin, Bob Hope, George Burns, Rose Kennedy, Grandma Moses. And frankly I don’t know whether folks outside the US would know Kennedy. I think you may be surprised how many people do know of Rose Kennedy- at least of my vintage. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-person-whose-fame-does-not-relate-to-their-age/643171/10 "2012-12-06T14:13:57Z")
I would add that[Dame Elisabeth Murdoch](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_Murdoch_%28philanthropist%29) passed away yesterday at 103. And that is a problem in that she meets your criteria, but is possibly not well known in Australia let alone the rest of the world. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-person-whose-fame-does-not-relate-to-their-age/643171/11 "2012-12-06T16:00:27Z")
> [@hammos1](#): > > George Abbott . . . not as famous as Niemeyer, though. Not to everyone. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-person-whose-fame-does-not-relate-to-their-age/643171/12 "2012-12-06T16:07:33Z")
> [@KermitTheFrig](#): > > Olivia de Havilland is 96. Her sister Joan Fontaine is a year younger. They ain’t got nothing on Luise Rainer. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-person-whose-fame-does-not-relate-to-their-age/643171/13 "2012-12-06T16:10:33Z")
General Giap is still alive, at 101. ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-person-whose-fame-does-not-relate-to-their-age/643171/14 "2012-12-06T17:27:43Z")
Dutch actor and singer [Johannes Heesters](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Heesters) died 2011, aged 108. His first credit in the IMDB is from 1924, the last one from 2011: > **[Johannes Heesters - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0373535/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1)** > > Johannes Heesters. Actor: Die Fledermaus. Johannes Heesters was born on 5 December 1903 in Amersfoort, Utrecht, Netherlands. He was an actor, known for Die Fledermaus (1946), Whirled into Happiness (1951) and Der Bettelstudent (1936). He was... ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-person-whose-fame-does-not-relate-to-their-age/643171/15 "2012-12-06T17:35:58Z")
[Sir Moses Montefiore](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses_Montefiore) (1784-1885) is definitely a household name here in Israel (and is not completely unknown in the UK). ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-person-whose-fame-does-not-relate-to-their-age/643171/16 "2012-12-06T17:36:34Z")
Wikipedia, bless its heart, has [several lists of centenarians who are famous for reasons other than age.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_centenarians) Fun fact: there are two living Nobel laureates who are over 100 years old: [Rita](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rita_Levi-Montalcini) Levi-Montalcini, age 103 (who won the physiology/medicine prize in 1986), and [Ronald](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Coase) Coase, age 101 (who won the economics prize in 1991.) ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-person-whose-fame-does-not-relate-to-their-age/643171/17 "2012-12-06T17:40:01Z")
> [@hammos1](#): > > The death of [Oscar Niemeyer](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-20621265) at just shy of 105 led me to wonder who is/was the oldest person whose fame is unconnected with their old age? > > IMDB tells me that George Abbott, who wrote the screenplay for the 1930 film version of _All Quiet on the Western Front_, made it to 107. Not as famous as Niemeyer, though. With respect, I have never heard of Oscar Niemeyer in my life. But I sure knew who Mr. Abbot was, and how old he was. Until he wasn’t, I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-person-whose-fame-does-not-relate-to-their-age/643171/18 "2012-12-06T17:46:46Z")
> [@anson2995](#): > > I looked all of the lists and only found five that I would consider to be household names: Irving Berlin, Bob Hope, George Burns, Rose Kennedy, Grandma Moses. And frankly I don’t know whether folks outside the US would know Kennedy. I agree with Irving Berlin, Bob Hope, and George Burns. I’d also add in the Queen Mother and John D. Rockefeller as being major celebrities. The rest are minor celebrities at best, with some, like Dr. Denmark, being almost completely unkown outside of certain specialized circles. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-person-whose-fame-does-not-relate-to-their-age/643171/19 "2012-12-06T18:04:39Z")
Arthur Rubinstein pushed 100 and performed for 80 years. Eubie Blake was a legend–one of those “I didn’t even know he was alive” guys. Toscanini was ancient and in the public eye when he died. _My_ time is not yet come. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2012, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-person-whose-fame-does-not-relate-to-their-age/643171/20 "2012-12-06T18:14:53Z")
> [@hammos1](#): > > As the OP, I will arbitrarily dictate that ‘famous’ means: > > - own page on Wikipedia > - not primarily famous for being old. The first is a very weak criterion. I have a Wiki page and no one outside of relatives and those in my profession know me at all. Of course despite my SD moniker, I’m only in my 7th decade. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oldest-person-whose-fame-does-not-relate-to-their-age/643171.md?page=2)