6 secrets of famous people who lived to 100 and over
Everyone’s searching for the secret to a long, happy and healthy life but most of the time, it’s a bit of a lottery.
That being said, there are plenty of steps we can all take to get us a little closer to reaching 100. And where better to turn to for advice than some of the most famous centenarians in history?
From Hollywood royalty to actual royalty, these tips and pearls of wisdom might just be what you need to attain those elusive triple digits.
1. Olivia de Havilland
Olivia, 101, and her sister Joan Fontaine, who passed away at the impressive age of 96, certainly have good genes when it comes to longevity. As for when her time comes, however, the Gone with the Wind actress knows exactly how she wants to go.
“I would prefer to live forever in perfect health, but if I must at some time leave this life, I would like to do so ensconced on a chaise longue, perfumed, wearing a velvet robe and pearl earrings, with a flute of champagne beside me and having just discovered the answer to the last problem in a British cryptic crossword.”
2. Bob Hope
The iconic comedian once said, “the secret of eternal youth is to lie about your age,” but that isn’t his only advice. In 1981, at the age of 78, he revealed that he walked two miles (3.2km) every night, no matter what city he was in. Hope, who passed away at the age of 100, learnt this anti-ageing secret from his own grandpa.
“When he was 96 years old, he walked two miles to the local pub every day to get a drink,” Hope said. “He died within a month of his 100th birthday, and he remained mentally sharp till the very end.”
3. The Queen Mother
Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, appears to have passed her secret to longevity on to her daughter, who seems certain to reach 100. So, what is it? Well, the Queen Mother, who passed away in 2002 at the ripe old age of 101, has some rather unorthodox wisdom to share.
“Wouldn’t it be terrible if you’d spent all your life doing everything you were supposed to do, didn’t drink, didn’t smoke, didn’t eat things, took lots of exercise, and suddenly, one day, you were run over by a big red bus and, as the wheels were crunching into you, you’d say, ‘Oh my God, I could have got so drunk last night.’ That’s the way you should live your life, as if tomorrow you’ll be run over by a big red bus.”
4. Kirk Douglas
Douglas, who recently celebrated his 101st birthday, has been dealt many blows throughout the years – a helicopter crash, health issues and even a stroke – but remains young at heart.
“Age is in the mind,” he said. “I’ve survived a helicopter crash and back surgery. I have a pacemaker. I had a stroke that almost made me commit suicide. But I tell myself, I have to continue growing and functioning. That’s the only antidote for age.”
5. Gloria Stuart
Despite starting her acting career in the ‘30s and ‘40s, Stuart’s breakthrough role didn’t come until 1997 when she was cast as “Old Rose” in Titanic at the age of 87. In her memoir, aptly titled I Just Kept Hoping, Stuart said the secret to her long life was her motivation to succeed – even if it was in her 80s.
Stuart called Titanic her “last chance to finally prove I could be a first-rank actress”. She earned an Oscar nomination for her performance and went onto several more film and TV roles before passing away at the age of 100 in 2010.
6. Irving Berlin
The iconic composer and songwriter, who died at 101 in 1989, kept his advice short and sweet: “Life is 10 percent what you make it, and 90 percent how you take it.”