The last of an era? A few “endlings” of bygone centuries

by Jimmy Lindberg | Oct 16, 2024 | Case Study, In Depth

People like tracking ends of eras or major events; Titanic survivors, the fascination with the last survivors of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake or who would be the last person remaining from the 1800s come to mind. There is definitely something to this. These...

Searching for the First (Verifiable) Centenarian

by Jimmy Lindberg | Sep 30, 2024 | Analysis, Case Study, In Depth

For several decades, Norwegian man Eilif Philipsen has been recognized as the earliest-born verified centenarian. Philipsen was born in Kinsarvik, Norway on 21 July 1682 and died in Ullensvang, Norway on 20 June 1785, aged almost 103 years old. Philipsen has thorough...

Anna Jonsdotter – 111 Years Old in 1829?!

by Jimmy Lindberg | Sep 8, 2024 | Case Study, In Depth

In some of my past editorials I have discussed early centenarian and supercentenarian claimants. Perhaps the most interesting claimant is Hendrina Link-Scholte(n), who was allegedly born in 1686 and died in 1797 (van Dijk, 2023). With claimants such as her there is...

Missing data, or were there simply no more early supercentenarians?

by Jimmy Lindberg | May 15, 2024 | Analysis, In Depth

Pictured: Margaret Ann Neve (1792-1903), image taken by Thomas Alfred Grut, displayed in National Portrait Gallery The earliest-born validated supercentenarian on record was Geert Adriaans Boomgaard, who was born in 1788. Margaret Ann Neve, the earliest-born validated...