Category: How Old Were They

At 108 and 107, Lyle and Eleanor Gittens are the world’s oldest living married couple. They met at Clark Atlanta University, where Lyle whispered to Eleanor that she was his “SP” (college code for “Secret Passion”), and married on June 4, 1942. Asked how they stayed married so long, Lyle credits “Mutual love and support” and Eleanor adds, “You have to like the other person, not just love them.” Read Who Cares? about the struggle for dignity at Woodruff Home for the Aged, “a lively place where old people go to die.” Learn more about the book and its characters, aged 9-90, in NOVELS.

Liking, not just loving, each other since 1942

Woodruff Home for the Aged, a lively place where old people go to die

P. T. Barnum was 60 years old when he started his first traveling circus in 1871. He collaborated with W.C. Coup & Dan Castello to create “P. T. Barnum’s Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan, and Hippodrome,” which eventually became the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. In addition to being a showman, Barnum served two terms in the Connecticut legislature and was mayor of Bridgeport. Read Who Cares? about the struggle for dignity at “a lively place where old people go to die.” Learn more about the book and its characters, aged 9-90, in NOVELS.

P. T. Barnum was an entertainment and political showman

Woodruff Home for the Aged, a lively place where old people go to die

Balamurali Ambati was 17 when he became the world’s youngest doctor. Born 29 July 1977 in India, his family moved to Buffalo, New York when he was three where, according to his parents, he was doing calculus at age four. Ambati began his medical studies at New York University’s School of Medicine at age 14 and three years later became a licensed physician, specializing in ophthalmology. Read Who Cares? about the struggle for dignity at “a lively place where old people go to die.” Learn more about the book and its characters, aged 9-90, in NOVELS.

The “eyes” have it: World’s youngest doctor trained as an ophthalmologist

Woodruff Home for the Aged, a lively place where old people go to die

Australian James Harrison retired as a blood donor at age 77, after 1,173 donations, a Guinness world record. He’s credited with saving the lives of over 2.4 million babies. Known as the Man With The Golden Arm, James’s blood produces a rare antibody which cures the otherwise fatal Rhesus disease in unborn children. His blood has also been used in the development of a medicine, known as anti-D, which, it is hoped, will banish the Rhesus disease in children forever. Read Who Cares? about the struggle for dignity at “a lively place where old people go to die.” Learn more about the book and its characters, aged 9-90, in NOVELS.

James Harrison, Man with the Golden Arm, blood donor to millions

Woodruff Home for the Aged, a lively place where old people go to die

Mario Andretti began racing at 13. Born in Italy in 1940, he entered his first auto race when his family was living in a refugee camp during WW2. His love of racing accelerated after his family moved to the U.S. in 1955, where he made his professional debut. Andretti went on to win numerous Formula One, Indianapolis and Daytona 500, and Grand Prix titles. Read Who Cares? about the struggle for dignity at “a lively place where old people go to die.” Learn more about the book and its characters, aged 9-90, in NOVELS.

Mario Andretti began racing at age 13 in a refugee camp during WWII

Woodruff Home for the Aged, a lively place where old people go to die

A. A. Milne was 33 years old when he created the fictional teddy bear Winnie the Pooh, which today celebrates the 100th anniversary of its 12/24/1925 publication as a children’s story in London’s Evening News. “Winnie” is named for a stuffed bear Milne had bought his son, Christopher Robin, at Harrod’s Department Store, and a bear they’d seen at the London Zoo. Milne went on to publish four volumes of Pooh books, all illustrated by E. H. Shepard. Milne explains the name in the first’s book’s opening chapter: “His arms were so stiff … they stayed up straight in the air for more than a week, and whenever a fly came and settled on his nose he had to blow it off. And I think – but I am not sure – that is why he is always called Pooh.” Proud of the books when he was young, the real Christopher Robin came to resent his father for exploiting his childhood. Read Who Cares? about the struggle for dignity at Woodruff Home for the Aged, “a lively place where old people go to die.” Learn more about the book and its characters, aged 9-90, in NOVELS.

Winnie the Pooh has been translated into many languages, including Latin

Woodruff Home for the Aged, a lively place where old people go to die

Benjamin Franklin’s notable accomplishments occurred early and late in his life. He established the first public library at age 25 and the first official fire department at age 29. He was 70 when he signed the Declaration of Independence, the oldest Founding Father. In the intervening decades, he was a printer and publisher, shopkeeper, author (Poor Richard’s Almanac), inventor (he designed a heat-efficient stove and bifocals), scientist (experimenting with electricity), and diplomat. He died in 1790 at age 94. Read Who Cares? about the struggle for dignity at “a lively place where old people go to die.” Learn more about the book and its characters, aged 9-90, in NOVELS.

Benjamin Franklin left a mark from his 20s to his 90s

Woodruff Home for the Aged, a lively place where old people go to die

Henry Bergh was 53 when he founded the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in 1866, after witnessing the harsh treatment of horses by teamsters in Tsarist Russia. Eight years later, the wealthy New Yorker also helped found the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC). When Bergh died in 1888, at age 75, 39 states had enacted laws against animal cruelty. Read Who Cares? about the struggle for dignity at “a lively place where old people go to die.” Learn more about the book and its characters, aged 9-90, in NOVELS.

Appalled by the harsh treatment of horses, Henry Bergh devoted his life to preventing cruelty to animals

Woodruff Home for the Aged, a lively place where old people go to die

The life of crime of Billy the Kid (William H. Bonney) began at age 16. Born Henry McCarty in 1859 to Irish immigrants in New York City, his childhood was marked by hardship. After his mother died in 1875, he joined a rough crowd, was soon arrested, committed his first murder at 18, and was killed by sheriff Pat Garrett at 21. All told, the notorious outlaw was linked to nine murders and an untold number of robberies. Read Who Cares? about the struggle for dignity at “a lively place where old people go to die.” Learn more about the book and its characters, aged 9-90, in NOVELS.

A questionable folk hero of monumental mayhem

Woodruff Home for the Aged, a lively place where old people go to die

Mahatma Gandhi was 61 when he exemplified fighting for a cause in a nonviolent way. In 1930, seeking Indian independence, Gandhi led the Salt March to Dandi to protest the salt tax Britain had imposed. Weighing just 99 pounds, Gandhi walked 200 miles with his followers and illegally collected a block of salt. This act set off civil disobedience throughout the country, a pivotal moment in India’s fight for independence. Read Who Cares? about the struggle for dignity at “a lively place where old people go to die.” Learn more about the book and its characters, aged 9-90, in NOVELS.

Inspiring generations to use nonviolence to fight for a cause

Woodruff Home for the Aged, a lively place where old people go to die