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7 Longest Lived Americans In History

August 5, 2021 · Retirement Life
Photo by mrmohock from Shutterstock

Who doesn’t want to live forever? Or at least, for a very long time? According to some reports, the current average life expectancy for the citizens of the U.S. is 78.7 years- 81.3 years for women and 76.3 years for men.

But there are some people in this country that managed to surpass the life span of many others. If you’re thinking what is their secret to a longer life, we are too.

Whether it’s a healthy lifestyle or a life without worries, they are definitely worth mentioning. We’re presenting you 7 people who are supercentenarians, which means they are over 110 years old.

  • Christine Ireland – 113 years; Birthplace: Cumberland, North Carolina
  • Irene Dunham– 113 years; Birthplace: Bath, Michigan
  • Mila Mangold – 113 years; Birthplace: Nebraska
  • Bessie Hendricks– 113 years; Birthplace: Carrol County, Iowa
  • Ermisna Theodore– 113 years; Birthplace: Haiti
  • Maude Harris– 113 years; Birthplace: Fertile, Minnesota
  • Thelma Sutcliffe– 114 years; Birthplace- Omaha, Nebraska

These are the supercentenarians in the U.S. that are currently still living. There are others that passed away in 21th Century and lived longer lives, such as Sarah Knauss (119 years; died in 1999, Pennsylvania), Elizabeth Bolden (116 years; died in 2006, New York), Christian Mortensen(115 years; 1998, California), Goldie Steinberg (114 years; died in 2015, New York) and so on.

When asked what’s the secret to their long life, many of them had diverse answers. Some of them claimed that being with their families helped them through the hardest times, others have claimed that work is the number one factor that made them resistant to everything.

Others considered that it’s worth saying they never stopped smoking (talk about a sense of humor when you’re old) while the others claimed that being all by themselves and going to bed early is their longevity secret.

The thing is, scientists haven’t managed to find an answer as well. The best thing to do is live our lives to the fullest and enjoy every second of it. Who knows, we might get to be a supercentenarian one day.

If you enjoyed reading this article, we also recommend you: 5 Important Changes to Social Security Benefits in 2021

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