# People dying at age 100 **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 28, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529 "2003-07-28T22:11:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [July 28, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/1 "2003-07-28T22:11:41Z")
A couple months ago, when Bob Hope reached 100, I remember saying, “He’s gonna die this year, just like most other 100-year-olds.” And this had nothing to do with his health. It seems that a lot of people reach the age of 100, and die that year, before reaching 101. It’s almost like they kept themselves alive to reach that milestone, then just let go. So is there a statistical difference between percentage of 99-year-olds reaching 100 and percentage of 100-year-olds reaching 101? If plotted on a graph, is there a little glitch in the curve at that age? ---
**Author:** ![leastcomdenom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/977dab/32.png) [@leastcomdenom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leastcomdenom)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/2 "2003-07-28T22:42:40Z")
George Burns also died at 100. And it was’t a coincidence that two of our early presidents died on July 4th. Both were intent on seeing that day come. There is definitely a will to live, which goes away upon meeting a goal. ---
**Author:** ![leastcomdenom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/977dab/32.png) [@leastcomdenom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leastcomdenom)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/3 "2003-07-28T22:47:48Z")
George Burns also died at 100. And it was’t a coincidence that two of our early presidents died on July 4th. Both were intent on seeing that day come. There is definitely a will to live, which goes away upon meeting a goal. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/4 "2003-07-28T22:49:28Z")
I found this, but unfortunately, it stops at 100: > **[nvsr51\_03tb1.pdf](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/pdf/nvsr51_03tb1.pdf)** > > 222.98 KB ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/5 "2003-07-28T22:50:20Z")
> [@](#): > > And it was’t a coincidence that two of our early presidents died on July 4th. Both were intent on seeing that day come. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/6 "2003-07-28T22:50:54Z")
I did allso read on one site that there are about 37,000 centenarians in the US, and about 6000 of those are at least 105. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/7 "2003-07-28T22:56:35Z")
Just this morning there was an article in the paper about Al Hirschfeld, who **didn’t** quite make it to his 100th birthday. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/8 "2003-07-28T23:09:07Z")
**x-ray vision:** John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Easily verified in numerous references. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/9 "2003-07-28T23:11:20Z")
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826. (Yes, I googled the year 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/10 "2003-07-28T23:22:57Z")
Using data from the [Social Security Death Index](http://www.ancestry.com/search/rectype/vital/ssdi/main.htm), I plotted the number of deaths recorded of people who died in their 95[sup]th[/sup] through 105[sup]th[/sup] years, and produced [this graph](http://web.acsalaska.net/~fmurtley/area_81F1922.jpg). It looks like a pretty standard bell curve distribution, though it is only accurate to the year of birth, not whether the deceased made it to 100 or not. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/11 "2003-07-28T23:26:40Z")
Make that **accurate to the year of death**. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/12 "2003-07-28T23:33:06Z")
Well, when you buy Whole Life life insurance the coverage ends when you reach 100. It is the ultimate reassurance to an actuary. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/13 "2003-07-28T23:40:18Z")
I assumed x-ray meant a cite for this: > [@](#): > > And it was’t a coincidence which is impossible to supply, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/14 "2003-07-28T23:42:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fear Itself \* > I plotted the number of deaths recorded of people who died in their 95[sup]th[/sup] through 105[sup]th[/sup] years, and produced [this graph](http://web.acsalaska.net/~fmurtley/area_81F1922.jpg). It looks like a pretty standard bell curve distribution, though it is only accurate to the year of [death], not whether the deceased made it to 100 or not. What? ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/15 "2003-07-28T23:46:23Z")
> [@](#): > > “He’s gonna die this year, just like most other 100-year-olds.” The social security table posted by **Snake Hips** would seem to prove you wrong. If you live to 100 you have a 50% chance of living another 2.6 years. [hijack] I found it interesting to note the likehood of dying between 86-87 was almost exactly the same as dying in Vietnam if you were in a rifle company. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/16 "2003-07-28T23:56:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Achernar \* > \*\*What? \*\* In other words, if a person was born in 1902 and died in 2002, this graph would not indicate whether he had died before or after his 100[sup]th[/sup] birthday, only that he had died in his 100[sup]th[/sup] year of life. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/17 "2003-07-28T23:59:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by toadspittle \* > I assumed **x-ray** meant a cite for this: > > **"And it wasn’t a coincidence that two of our early presidents died on July 4th. Both were intent on seeing that day come."** > > which is impossible to supply, of course. Well, actually I did find several sources that discussed Jefferson’s last hours. [This one](http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/7/3/130908.shtml) summarizes as well as any of the others: > [@](#): > > Thomas Jefferson clung to life on July 3, 1826. Confined to his bed at Monticello, he fought death, wishing to prolong life by one day, so he could live to see the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. > > Jefferson’s physician and two grandsons kept an around-the-clock vigil on the dying 83-year-old former third president. “Is it the fourth?” Jefferson asked several times as he slipped in and out of consciousness. > > At 9 p.m. on the evening of July 3, Jefferson refused his nightly medicine, saying, “No, doctor, nothing more.” His sleep was noticeably more restless and dream-filled. His grandson reported that once Jefferson tried to sit up and eerily mimicked all the motions of writing, saying that the Committee of Safety should be warned, an obvious reference to the days of the American Revolution. > > When Jefferson awoke at 4 a.m. and learned that he had lived to see his glorious Fourth of July, he said, “Ah, just as I wished.” In a strong and clear voice, he asked that his family be brought to his room. He bid them all farewell, then lapsed into silence, and with his pulse barely perceptible to the lightest touch, he aroused only twice, requesting water, before passing into the next world at 12:55 p.m., July 4, 1826. Adams died a few hours later at Quincy, Massachusetts. His last words were “Thomas Jefferson survives.” He did not know that Jefferson had died earlier in the day. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/18 "2003-07-28T23:59:54Z")
Oh! Thanks for clarifying that. I have heard that very old people have an increased chance of dying in the few weeks after their birthday. Otherwise, I would be eager to disbelieve this dying-at-100 thing. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/19 "2003-07-29T00:01:09Z")
Quote from PANACHE 45: It’s almost like they kept themselves alive to reach that milestone, then just let go. …and methinks that if that were possible, a new deal would be asked for at the end of that particular day…😃 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/20 "2003-07-29T00:15:08Z")
**Scarlett67** , do we have any idea what the sources for Nagy’s article were? Frankly, most of it sound like hokey Hollywood tripe to me. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529.md?page=2)