Useful Notes / Centenarians

An index of individuals who have lived for 100 years or longer.

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Individual Pages

• Irving Berlin (1888–1989), Russian-American composer.
• George Burns (1896–1996), American comedian and actor.
• Earl Cameron (1917–2020), Bermudian-British actor.
• Diana Serra Cary (1918–2020), American actress and film historian.
• Beverly Cleary (1916–2021), American writer.
• Danielle Darrieux (1917–2017), French actress.
• Olivia de Havilland (1916–2020), British-American actress.
• Kirk Douglas (1916–2020), American actor and producer.
• Bert I. Gordon (1922–2023), American filmmaker and visual effects artist.
• Bob Hope (1903–2003), British-born American comedian and actor.
• Glynis Johns (1923–2024), South African-born British actress.
• Ernst Jünger (1895–1998), German soldier and writer.
• Henry Kissinger (1923–2023), German-born American politician, diplomat and geopolitical consultant.
• Charles Lane (1905–2007), American actor.
• Norman Lear (1922–2023), American producer and screenwriter.
• Norman Lloyd (1914–2021), American actor, producer and director.
• Vera Lynn (1917–2020), British singer.
• Manoel de Oliveira (1908–2015), Portuguese director.
• Janis Paige (born 1922), American actress and singer.
• Nehemiah Persoff (1919–2022), American actor.
• Luise Rainer (1910–2014), Oscar-winning actress.
• Leni Riefenstahl (1902–2003), German director and actress.
• Connie Sawyer (1912–2018), American actress.
• Renée Simonot (1911–2021), French actress.
• Gloria Stuart (1910–2010), American actress.
• Estelle Winwood (1883–1984), British actress.

Others^note To be included here, the person must be noteworthy in their own right (preferably with their own Wikipedia page).

Still living:

• Sabine André (born 1913), Belgian actress. One of the oldest recorded actresses to have ever lived.
• Ray Anthony (born 1922), member of The Glenn Miller Orchestra, actor in Girls Town.
• Maria Branyas (born 1907), the current certified oldest living person in the world.
• Hugo Broch (born 1922), the last living German Ace Pilot of World War II and one of two surviving men awarded with the German Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Heinz Rafoth.
• Marita Camacho Quirós (born 1911), former First Lady of Costa Rica and wife of the late Francisco Orlich Bolmarcich.
• Sister Jean (née Jean Dolores Schmidt, born 1919), American nun and current chaplain of the Loyola Ramblers men's basketball team, representing Loyola University Chicago. She became an international media figure when the Ramblers made the Final Four of the NCAA tournament in 2018.
• Ágnes Keleti (born 1921), Hungarian-Israeli gymnast, first Olympic champion to make it to 100.
• Virginia Halas McCaskey (born 1923), principal owner of the NFL's Chicago Bears.
• Mary Morello (born 1923), actvist, mother of Tom Morello.
• Heinz Rafoth (born 1923), last living World War II German infantryman to have been awarded with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and one of two surviving holders of the award with pilot Hugo Broch.
• Rachel Robinson (born 1922), wife of Jackie Robinson.
• Shi Ping (born 1912), Chinese supercentenarian, former academic and political administrator.

Deceased:

• Roger Angell (1920–2022), American essayist most noted for his writing on sports, especially baseball. Also longtime fiction editor of The New Yorker.
• Louis-Victor Baillot (1793–1898), last surviving veteran of the Battle of Waterloo.
• Nancy Barbato (1917–2018), first wife of Frank Sinatra and mother of Nancy Sinatra.
• Bruce Bennett (1906–2007), American athlete and actor.
• Frank Buckles (1901–2011), last surviving American veteran of World War I.
• James L. Buckley (1923–2023), American judge and politician; US Senator (C-NY)^note Buckley was elected as a member of New York's Conservative Party and caucused with the Republicans. from 1971–77. Older brother of William F. Buckley Jr. and uncle of author Christopher Buckley.
• Jack Burke Jr. (1923–2024), American golfer and member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
• Anne Buydens (1919–2021), wife of Kirk Douglas.
• Jeanne Calment (1875–1997), oldest recorded human being (died at 122 years and 164 days).
• Mary Carlisle (1914–2018), American actress, singer and dancer and last surviving WAMPAS Baby Star.^note This was a promotional campaign by the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers, which from 1922–1934 honored a group of 13 young actresses (15 in 1932, none in 1930 or 1933) that it believed to be on the verge of stardom. Most failed to live up to their promise. Gloria Stuart, listed above, was in the same class as Carlisle (1932).
• Claude Choules (1901–2011), last surviving combat veteran of World War I (British), having passed away about two months after the aforementioned Frank Buckles.
• Cornelius Cole (1822–1924), Republican politician from California and longest-lived US Senator.
• Lou Conter (1921–2024), American naval officer and last known survivor of the sinking of the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor.
• Anton Coppola (1917–2020), American opera conductor and uncle of Francis Ford Coppola and Talia Shire.
• "Professor" Irwin Corey (1914–2017), stand-up comedian known as the World's Foremost Authority.
• Teodor Cosma (1910–2011), Romanian composer and pianist. Father of Vladimir Cosma.
• Pleasant Crump (1847–1951), last surviving Confederate veteran of The American Civil War whose veteran status is not disputed.
• Ève Curie (1904–2007), daughter of Marie Curie.
• Jimmie Davis (1899–2000), American singer and songwriter who later served as Governor of Louisiana.
• Suzy Delair (1917–2020), French actress.
• Jean Delannoy (1908–2008), French filmmaker.
• Anthony F. DePalma (1904–2005), father of Brian De Palma.
• Clarissa Eden (1920–2021), Countess of Avon, wife of British Prime Minister Anthony Eden and niece of Winston Churchill.
• Marta Eggerth (1912–2013), Hungarian-born soprano and actress.
• Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, née Bowes-Lyon (1900–2002), of The House of Windsor. Mother of Elizabeth II.
• Irving Fein (1911–2012), American television and film producer and manager of Jack Benny and George Burns.
• Benjamin Ferencz (1920–2023), last surviving prosecutor of the Nuremberg Trials.
• Jolie Gabor (1896–1997), Countess de Szigethy, mother of Zsa Zsa Gabor.
• Philippe de Gaulle (1921–2024), French Admiral and World War II Free French Forces veteran, son of Charles de Gaulle.
• Léon Gautier (1922–2023), the last surviving French veteran of D-Day.
• Pierre Gérald (1906–2012), French actor.
• Julie Gibson (1913–2019), American actress and singer.
• Miep Gies (1909–2010), Dutch woman who helped Anne Frank and her family to hide in Amsterdam during World War II.
• Françoise Gilot (1921–2023), French painter and one-time romantic partner of Pablo Picasso.
• Florence Green (1901–2012), last surviving British veteran of World War I, and thought until 2017 to have been the last such survivor from any country.
• James Hard (1843–1953), officially the last surviving combat veteran of the The American Civil War (Union side).
• Kathleen Harrison (1892–1995), English character actress.
• Johannes Heesters (1903–2011), Dutch singer and actor who was very popular in Germany.
• Dolores Hope (1909–2011), wife of Bob Hope.
• Marsha Hunt (1917–2022), actress.
• Al Jaffee (1921–2023), American cartoonist most famous for his long career at MAD magazine.
• Herb Jeffries (1913–2014), actor and popular "singing cowboy".
• Erich Kästner (1900–2008), last surviving German veteran of World War I.
• Yutaka Katayama (né Yutaka Asoh, 1909–2015), Japanese auto executive most famous as the first president of Nissan's US subsidiary and the creator of the concept of Nissan's Z-cars. Affectionately known as "Mr. K".
• Rose Kennedy (1890–1995), mother of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Ted Kennedy.
• Barbara Kent (1907–2011), Canadian film actress.
• Jiroemon Kimura (1897–2013), Japanese supercentenarian who passed at age 116 years 54 days, making him the only male confirmed to have reached age 116. Also the last surviving male to have been born in the 19th century. After his death, it was discovered he had served with a Japanese army unit in Tokyo during World War I, making him the last surviving WWI veteran from any country.
• John Kundla (1916–2017), Hall of Fame basketball coach most notable as the first head coach of the Minneapolis (now Los Angeles) Lakers, leading the franchise to five NBA titles.
• Carla Laemmle (1909–2014), Silent Movie actress, niece of Universal's founder Carl Laemmle.
• Alf Landon (1887–1987), Governor of Kansas and Republican nominee for President in 1936.
• Hubert de Lapparent (1919–2021), French actor.
• Francis Lederer (1899–2000), Czech-American actor.
• Claude Lévi-Strauss (1908–2009), the most famous French anthropologist and ethnologist.
• Rush Limbaugh Sr. (1891–1996), grandfather of Rush Limbaugh.
• Huey Long (1904–2009), member of The Ink Spots.
• Colette Maze (1914–2023), French pianist. Started playing in 1919, released an album a few months before her passing in 2023.
• Roberta McCain (1912–2020), mother of U.S. Senator John McCain.
• Walter Mirisch (1921–2023), Oscar-winning American film producer.
• Tom Moore (1920–2021), former British Army officer who became an international celebrity for his charity fundraising efforts during the run-up to his 100th birthday in the midst of COVID-19.
• Patricia Morison (1915–2018), American actress and mezzo-soprano singer.
• Elisabeth Murdoch (1909–2012), Australian philanthropist and mother of Rupert Murdoch.
• Grizel Niven (1906–2007), sister of David Niven.
• Clarence "Ace" Parker (1912–2013), oldest member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (NFL); also briefly played in Major League Baseball.
• Frits Philips (1905–2005), Dutch business executive and fourth chairman of the board of Philips. Recognized as Righteous Among the Nations for his actions in saving Jews during WWII.
• Lazare Ponticelli (1897–2008), last surviving French veteran of World War I.
• Micheline Presle (1922–2024), French actress.
• Hal Roach (1892–1992), film producer known for launching the careers of Laurel and Hardy and the Our Gang series.
• David Rockefeller (1915–2017), banker and billionaire.
• Albert Rosellini (1910–2011), Democratic politician from Washington and longest-lived US Governor.
• Nellie Tayloe Ross (1876–1977), Democratic politician from Wyoming and first female Governor in the United States.
• Susanna M. Salter (1860–1961), American politician and first female mayor in the United States.
• Kurt Salterberg (1923–2023), German soldier, last surviving witness of the Assassination Attempt on Adolf Hitler by Claus von Stauffenberg in July 1944.
• Run Run Shaw (born Shao Renleng, later Shao Yifu; 1907–2014), Hong Kong entertainment mogul most famous for his involvement with the Shaw Brothers film production company.
• Helen Shingler (1919–2019), British actress, mother of Anthony Head.
• Soong Mei-ling (1898–2003), wife of Chiang Kai-shek.
• Arnold Spielberg (1917–2020), father of Steven Spielberg.
• Amos Alonzo Stagg (1862–1965), pioneer of American football, first as a player and then as a coach. Also responsible for setting the number of players on a basketball team (on the court) at its current value of 5.
• Wayne Thiebaud (1920–2021), American painter associated with the Pop Art movement.
• Strom Thurmond (1902–2003), American politician; governor of South Carolina from 1947–51 and US Senator from 1954–2003 (retiring shortly before his death). First member of the US Congress to become a centenarian while in office.
• Lupita Tovar (1910–2016), Mexican-American actress.
• Charley Trippi (1921–2022), Pro Football Hall of Famer as a running back with the Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals).
• Otakar Vávra (1911–2011), Czech filmmaker.
• Norman D. Vaughan (1905–2005), American explorer who participated in Admiral Richard Byrd's first expedition to the South Pole (1928–1930). In later life, became a dogsled driver who competed in many races and participated in WWII search and rescue missions, as well as three US presidential inauguration parades.
• Henri Vernes (1918–2021), Belgian author, creator of Bob Morane.
• Võ Nguyên Giáp (1911–2013), Vietnamese general and politician who built the (North) Vietnamese army into a force that defeated the French in the country's war of independence under his command and outlasted the US in the Vietnam War.
• Stanley "Whitey" Von Nieda (1922–2023), American basketball player and coach; first NBA player to reach age 100.
• Señor Wences (1896–1999), Spanish comedian and ventriloquist.
• Walter Williams (1842(?)–1959), claimed last surviving veteran of the The American Civil War (Confederate side). Age and veteran status disputed; strong evidence exists that he was actually born in 1854.
• Mary Wilson (1916–2018), Baroness Wilson of Rievaulx, wife of British Prime Minister Harold Wilson.
• Albert Woolson (1850–1956), officially the last surviving veteran of The American Civil War (Union side, for which he served as a drummer boy).
• Zhang Lixiong (1913–2024), Chinese military officer, politician and supercentenarian.
• Adoplh Zukor (1873–1976), Hungarian-American film producer.

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