# 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:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/21 "2003-07-29T00:38:31Z")
I do wonder sometimes if people can actually hold on until they reach a milestone, provided of course they aren’t in a critical situation. I’ve wondered if maybe Strom Thurmond had sort of given up since he didn’t have the daily goal of getting to work anymore. Just a thought, probably nothing to it. ---
**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 29, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/22 "2003-07-29T00:42:05Z")
I won’t list them here, but if you Google the following: “thomas jefferson” “+is +it +the +fourth” you will find numerous independent sources that tell essentially the same story. I think we can take this particular author at her word. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/23 "2003-07-29T03:50:09Z")
George Burns once said, “If you live to the age of 100 you have it made, because very few people die past the age of 100.” ---
**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, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/24 "2003-07-29T03:58:38Z")
> [@](#): > > you will find numerous independent sources that tell essentially the same story. It’s possible, I’m just stating my impression. I mean, lots of people think Washington chopped down the cherry tree, you know? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/25 "2003-07-29T04:04:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scarlett67 \* > \*\ ***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. \*\* Actually it isn’t. July 4th is the _official_ anniversary date, but in fact the actual signing ceremony was not held until August 2, 1776. [Cite.](http://home.delfi.ee/usjoe/Fourth.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/26 "2003-07-29T06:12:43Z")
Well, Q.E.D., it depends on _which_ signing we’re talking about. **Scarlett67** didn’t say “signing ceremony”. July 4 was the day that the Continental Congress approved the text of the Declaration of Independence. And John Hancock, the President of the Continental Congress, _did_ sign the Declaration on the 4th of July, as did Charles Thomson, the Secretary of the Congress. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/27 "2003-07-29T06:39:44Z")
As for the graph requested by the OP, I have no such direct info. I have heard and seen accounts of studies detailing the human body’s ability to survive untill a certain milestone has been reached. I assume that once the milestone has been passed, either the next milestone is impossibly far away, or the end goal has been reached. This has to be a neurological thing. I have no cites. If you care that much, they’re out there. I believe this is the same “mind over matter” phenomenon that some see with people in trauma that are “fighters”. These are just examples and theories, I don’t want any neurosurgeons jumping me in a back alley. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/28 "2003-07-29T14:19:08Z")
I would be interested in seeing the financial status of people over 100. Are they mostly well off?[can afford good health care] Or are they people who take care of themselves physically so they live. Remember the Dannon Yogurt commercial with the old Russians (or they may have been Georgians or some other people that are no longer part of the USSR) ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/29 "2003-07-29T15:06:51Z")
Whatever happened on July 4th, it was celebrated as Independence Day as early as 1778 and possibly 1777. By 1826, it was surely the date etched in everybody’s minds, even those that had been there. ---
**Author:** ![RexKatWA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@RexKatWA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RexKatWA)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/30 "2003-07-29T15:28:17Z")
Who are the next few celebrities to be approaching triple digits, now that Bob’s gone? ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/31 "2003-07-29T15:40:15Z")
Yeesh, Marley, the Adams/Jefferson is quite well-known, and can be looked up in any reference on the two men. Like, say, David McCullough’s biography of John Adams, pages 645-646. He in turn cites the diary of Rev. George Whitney (who was there) for the death of Adams, and a memoir of Jefferson’s grandson for Jefferson’s death. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/32 "2003-07-29T15:49:14Z")
The Queen Mother made it to 101, but she died over a longer period of time than Bob Hope. ---
**Author:** ![RexKatWA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@RexKatWA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RexKatWA)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/33 "2003-07-29T16:03:45Z")
In addition to my question about celebrities _approaching_ 100, I guess I should have added, it would be interesting to note celebrities that have already passed it. I did a little research, and came up with these, but hope someone can find some more: Art Linkletter: 91 Ladybird Johnson: 91 Ronald Reagan: 92 Al Lewis (Grandpa Munster): 93 Eddie Albert (GreenAcres): 95 John Mills: 95 Penny Singleton (Blondie! Jane Jetson!): 95 Fay Wray (King Kong): 96 Madame Chang Kai-Shek: 101 (winner!) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_great_unwashed/32/4791_2.png) [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/34 "2003-07-29T16:26:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mahaloth \* > \*\*The Queen Mother made it to 101, but she died over a longer period of time than Bob Hope. \*\* Uh? I’d always imagined it only took a second, or two. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529/35 "2003-07-29T17:29:38Z")
Being from Kansas, the other political figure (besides Strom Thurmond) that I usually think of in this situation is Alf Landon. He died not long after his 100th birthday, which was a really big deal around here. I was also thinking Bess Truman (wife of Harry) did the same thing but a quick google shows she only made it to about 97. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-dying-at-age-100/191529.md?page=1)