History Main / MethuselahSyndrome

** Dumbledore who was no less than ''150'' when he died. In the sixth book he says that he does not expect to live to the end of the year, but this is only because of a cursed ring he foolishly tried to wear.

Not to be confused with ImprobableAge. If there's only one or a few characters like this, especially cute little girls in a BishoujoSeries, it's ReallySevenHundredYearsOld.

* The TropeNamer is Methuselah from the [[Literature/TheBible biblical]] Literature/BookOfGenesis. He lives 969 years, longer than any human in the Bible. That said, ''most'' humans from before the flood have a given age of several centuries. It is only after the flood that God decrees that humans will live a "mere" 120 years or less. There are several figures after this point who are said to have lived just over one hundred, which is technically possible but still unlikely for an ancient Hebrew. In the books after the Pentateuch, which took place much closer to the time of the lives of their writers, people live somewhat more reasonable lifespans. It is written that God's decree will eventually pass and human lifespans will get longer again.

* In ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', the Númenóreans, or Men of the West, had extremely long life-spans granted to them when they were given Númenor. Aragorn lived to 210, and the fact that most men of Númenórean descent had much shorter lives was mentioned as a sign of the sorry state the world was in.

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', Twilight Sparkle says that Ponyville have been doing the Winter Wrap Up manually for hundreds of years. In a later episode, Granny Smith claims to be one of the founders of Ponyville. Assuming they're correct (Twilight is likely to have read up on the subject, and Diamond Tiara's family have a business agreement that corraborates the claim) Granny Smith would be several hundred years old. She's geriatric in almost every way but still keeps up her farmwork duties, she's clearheaded despite appearances, and unlike the millennia-old princesses Celestia and Luna, she's a simple earth pony with no fancy magics.

** Hagrid is only in his sixties at the time of the books, but does not have a single gray hair on him, as is the case with McGonagall, who is even older at 70.

* Master Roshi in ''DragonBall'' is stated to be at least 300 years old. The same would also hold true of his rival, the Crane Hermit.

* Channelers in the ''[[Literature/TheWheelOfTime Wheel of Time]]'' series live much longer than non-channelers. Aes Sedai are routinely at least two hundred years old, and it's discovered in the series that their upper limit of around 300 is a side effect of the Oaths they swear; those who haven't sworn the Oaths can reach beyond that, to four hundred or more. (Male channelers presumably would have the same conditions, except for the whole "Power drives them insane" factor.)

* Given, she is a witch, and Hagrid, meanwhile, is also half-giant.

** Dumbledore who was 115 or 116 when he died. In the sixth book he says that he does not expect to live to the end of the year, but this is only because of a cursed ring he foolishly tried to wear.

** Professor Marchbanks, proctor for the O.W.L. exams seen briefly in the fifth book, mentioned that she personally tested Dumbledore when he was a student.
** Ron's Auntie Muriel, who in spite of everyone else made it over a hundred.
** Hagrid is only in his sixties at the time of the books, but does not have a single gray hair on him.
*** Hagrid is also half-giant, so it's not just about being a wizard, in his case.
** Subverted by Scabbers, Ron's pet rat. He's been alive for at least twelve years, but that's only [[spoiler:because he's actually the animagus Peter Pettigrew]].

** However, a handful of modern scholars think that was a mistranlation and that years meant months. So while 969 months (Just under 81 years) is rather long for the time it's still within the human lifespan, but the problem with this is we have characers fathering children at 5 or 6 years of age.

** However, a handful of modern scholars think that was a mistranlation and that years meant months. So while 969 months (Just under 81 years) is rather long for the time it's still within the human lifespan.

* In Warhammer40K, [[SpaceMarine Space Marines]] are known for their longevity, routinely living for centuries (provided they don't die in battle). Those greviously wounded in battle may be ensconced in Dreadnaught armor, which renders them fuctionally immortal ([[AndIMustScream for a price]]).
** As well, baseline humans can receive medical rejuvenation treatment that can extend their lives well into the triple digits. For example- at the time of ''Cain's Last Stand'', CiaphasCain is is well over one hundred (as is his aid, Gunner Jurgen). Generally however, the treatments that allow this sort of long life are reserved for the rich and the well-off.

** [[HMTheQueen Elizabeth II]] is also a prime example; should she live and reign until 10 September 2015, she will take both the British longest-reign title and the longest-reign title for women from her great-great-grandmother.

* Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun. Seriously, these guys never died (much to AndrewJackson's dismay). Clay and Calhoun were elected to Congress as ''Jeffersonian'' Republicans (AKA Democrats) in '''1810.''' Henry Clay then went onto a long political career, ran for president of the United States three times (1824, as a Democratic-Republican, 1832, as a ''National'' Republican, and 1844, as a Whig) before dying as the '''[[AmericanCivilWar Civil War]]''' approached. Basically, he lived through four party changes, and when he died the Whig party pretty much fell apart. Calhoun didn't live as long, but was ''John Quincy Adams' '' Vice-President, and then went onto a very long political career that ''involved practically getting the South to secede from the United States in 1850.'' They may not have lived to be 600 years old, but Clay and Calhoun are mention more often in the AP US History book than George Washington, Lincoln, FDR, or pretty much any president. Clay, in fact, is mentioned in one book starting about page 200 and then dies on page '''five-hundred six'''.

* Some monarchs are known to also be this, such as Queen Victoria for the UK and Emperor Franz Josef of Austria-Hungary. Coincidentally, his descendant Otto von Habsburg, had he ruled, would have given ''both'' of them a run for their money: born before WorldWarOne, he died in 2011; if he had actually taken the throne in 1922 (when his father historically died, but after the abolition of the monarchy in Austria) and lived as long as he did (i.e. to 2011), he would have had an 89-year reign--the longest of any monarch in human history, with the possible exception of Egyptian Pharaoh Pepi II, mentioned below.

* JackNicholson and MichaelCaine are the only two actors who have been nominated for Oscars in TheSixties, TheSeventies, TheEighties, TheNineties, ''and'' the TurnOfTheMillennium. We're still waiting to see if this will extend to TheNewTens.

* The TropeNamer is Methuselah from the Literature/{{bibl|e}}ical Literature/BookOfGenesis. He lives 969 years, longer than any human in the Bible. That said, ''most'' humans from before the flood have a given age of several centuries. It is only after the flood that God decrees that humans will live a "mere" 120 years or less. There are several figures after this point who are said to have lived just over one hundred, which is technically possible but still unlikely for an ancient Hebrew. In the books after the Pentateuch, which took place much closer to the time of the lives of their writers, people live somewhat more reasonable lifespans. It is written that God's decree will eventually pass and human lifespans will get longer again.

* A lot of movies and shows with Buddhist monks tend to do this. ''KillBill'', for example, establishes Pai Mei as being either well over 120 or more than a thousand years old, depending on whether you want to go by the original script (which states that Pai Mei was already a martial arts master in 1883), RealLife (where he was in 1647 if not earlier), or the actual film (where David Carradine [[ThrowItIn ad-libbed]] the line into "one double-aught three", or 1003). No explanation is given; it's implied that Pai Mei is just that {{badass}}.

* In the world of ''TheDresdenFiles'', it's established that wizards just plain live longer than normals, with 200-300 years being average. A doctor, having seen a series of Harry Dresden's X-rays ([[WalkingTechbane when he can get the machine to work, anyway]]) theorizes that his cells are much better at repairing themselves than those of a normal person.

* Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun. Seriously, these guys never died (much to AndrewJackson's dismay). Clay and Calhoun were elected to Congress as ''Jeffersonian'' Republicans (AKA Democrats) in '''1810.''' Henry Clay then went onto a long political career, ran for president of the United States three times (1824, as a Democratic-Republican, 1832, as a ''National'' Republican, and 1844, as a Whig) before dying as the '''[[AmericanCivilWar Civil War]]''' approached. Basically, he lived through four party changes, and when he died the Whig party pretty much fell apart. Calhoun didn't live as long, but was ''John Quincy Adams' '' Vice-President, and then went onto a very long political career that ''involved practically getting the South to secede from the United States in 1850.'' They may not have lived to be 600 years old, but Clay and Calhoun are mention more often in the AP US History book than George Washington, Lincoln, FDR, and pretty much any president. Clay, in fact, is mentioned in one book starting about page 200 and then dies on page '''five-hundred six'''.
** John Adams, the Founding Father and 2nd President of the U.S.A. lived to be 91. In the early 19th century, 91!

** William Jennings Bryan!

* Some monarchs are known to also be this, such as Queen Victoria for the UK and Emperor Franz Josef of Austria-Hungary. Coincidentally, his descendant Otto von Habsburg, had he ruled, would have given ''both'' of them a run for their money: born before WorldWarOne, he died in 2011; if he had actually taken the throne in 1922 (when his father historically died, but after the abolition of the monarchy in Austria) and lived as long as he did (i.e. to 2011), he would have had an 89-year reign--the longest ever.

** However modern scholars think that was a mistranlation and that years meant months. So while 969 months (Just under 81 years) is rather long for the time it's still within the human lifespan.

** John Adams, the Founding Father and 2nd President of the U.S.A. lived to be 91. In the early 1800's, 91!

** However modern scholars think that was a mistranlation and that years meant months. So while 969 months is rather long for the time it's still within the human lifespan.

* Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun. Seriously, these guys never died. Clay and Calhoun were elected to Congress as ''Jeffersonian'' Republicans (AKA Democrats) in '''1810.''' Henry Clay then went onto a long political career, ran for president of the United States three times (1824, as a Democratic-Republican, 1832, as a ''National'' Republican, and 1844, as a Whig) before dying as the '''[[AmericanCivilWar Civil War]]''' approached. Basically, he lived through four party changes, and when he died the Whig party pretty much fell apart. Calhoun didn't live as long, but was ''John Quincy Adams' '' Vice-President, and then went onto a very long political career that ''involved practically getting the South to secede from the United States in 1850.'' They may not have lived to be 600 years old, but Clay and Calhoun are mention more often in the AP US History book than George Washington, Lincoln, FDR, and pretty much any president. Clay, in fact, is mentioned in one book starting about page 200 and then dies on page '''five-hundred six'''.

* Roland, in ''TheDarkTower'', although that's mostly because the collapse of his world has made the nature of time's passage murky at best.