As Glenn says, we’re going to see more people living to be this old. And as a commenter notes, there aren’t very many people left who were born in the nineteenth century. My maternal grandmother would have been two years older, had she lived, but she died at the ripe young age of ninety eight, fourteen years ago (whereupon I became a full orphan, and next in line, having no longer any living ancestors).
Of course, I take these folks’ recommendations for a long life with a healthy bag of salt. Particularly when they recommend a life of celibacy. I think that it’s good genes, and good luck, more than anything else.
The study of “Blue Zones” is probably relevant to this conversation.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Zone
The findings are (surprise!): don’t smoke or drink to excess, get regular exercise, eat a healthy diet with plenty of vegetables and no junk, be engaged in the community, and put family first (which I think is a way of saying “Don’t stress over work”).
Hmmmm.
My paternal grandfather lived into his mid-90’s and his prescription for a long life?
A glass of brandy and a half-pound of bacon every morning.
*shrug* worked for him.
Most everyone on my Dad’s side lived into their 80’s. They consumed copious amounts of Meat, smoked, and drank. Many people on my Mom’s side made it to their 90’s. Except for her Dad who had a heart attack and died in his 40’s. But she admitted that he had a penchant for ice cream — like a half gallon at a time. I think this was just a product of his poor diet. He was a boxer for the Navy and no doubt their ideas of how to put on muscle, back in the day, involved some diet strategies that we would frown on today.