Turning 90 isn’t what it used to be. Even turning 100, while still a notable milestone, isn’t the unusual feat it once was.
It’s something that’s changed relatively quickly. When I first started in journalism if someone in the community reached the century mark we’d rush out to write a story about them. Heck, we’d acknowledge 90 as pretty special. Readers would stop to gawk at the photos of the 100 year old birthday boy or girl, with comments either about how they didn’t look at day over 93 or they looked like they were already toes up. It could go either way.
Obviously reaching either or both of these birthdays is still a pretty big deal to the person who does so and their family and friends, but it’s not as unique as it once was. More and more people are becoming centenarians.
And so in the newspaper business we’re more likely to ask if you can send us a photo of your mother’s or grandmother’s 100th birthday party, rather than rushing out with a camera. (On the plus side, many of them now don’t look at day over 86.)
It’s not that surprising, really, when you consider that the oldest living person is Kane Tanaka of Japan at 115 years, 246 days (as of Wednesday, Sept. 5), according to Wikipedia’s list of oldest living people. Also at 115 but with a few less days to their credit are Maria Giuseppa Robucci of Italy, and Shimoe Akiyama, also of Japan. There are five people who’ve reached 114, from France, Spain, Japan and Belarus. Interesting that none of them are from North America.
In Canada, the oldest person is Ellen Gibb, 113 years and 132 days of age, living in Ontario. At 112 Henrietta Irwin is nipping at her heels. The oldest Canadian ever was Marie-Louise Meilleur, who lived to be 117 years, 230 days old. Imagine the changes she saw in her lifetime, spanning 1880 to 1998.
Jeanne Calment of France, the oldest person on record in the world, was 122 years and 164 days young when she died in 1997.
Also notable is that by far most of the oldest living people both in the world and in Canada are women.
My own grandmother died early this year, having reached her mid-90s. I always find it interesting to talk to older people about the kinds of changes they’ve lived through, and speculate about the things we can’t even imagine yet that are coming our way before we reach their advanced age.
Will there be a time when 115 years old won’t be all that notable anymore? Only time will tell.