Reaching 100 is exceptional enough, but doing so while making a lasting impact on film, culture, or even world history? That’s next-level legendary. From vaudeville stages to the corridors of power, these icons didn’t just turn 100—they set the standard for it. Here are 10 unforgettable centenarians who showed that life at 100 can still be bigger than life.
10. Grandma Moses (1860–1961): The Artist Who Bloomed Late
Anna Mary Robertson Moses, better known as Grandma Moses, didn’t pick up painting until arthritis ended her embroidery career at 78. But once she did, her folksy, nostalgic scenes of rural America captured hearts worldwide. She painted until nearly 101, and decades later, one of her works sold for $1.2 million. Proof positive: it’s never too late to become a legend.
9. Norman Lloyd (1914–2021): Hollywood’s Living Timeline
Few careers have lasted close to a century, yet Norman Lloyd did. From vaudeville and Depression theater to Hitchcock suspense thrillers and producing Alfred Hitchcock Presents, he was ubiquitous. He even made a cameo in Trainwreck at 100. Still active at 106, Lloyd was a walking link between the Golden Age and contemporary Hollywood.
8. Gloria Stuart (1910–2010): Vintage Hollywood Meets Titanic
Gloria Stuart was a Hollywood starlet of the 1930s who fell from sight—until Titanic catapulted her into home-popularity once again. Playing elderly Rose earned her an Oscar nod at age 87, the Academy’s oldest ever nominee. Stuart proved that a Hollywood career can have a blockbuster sequel by becoming a living legend.
7. Bob Hope (1903–2003): Comedy’s Indefatigable Patriot
Bob Hope was not just a comedian—himself an institution. From vaudeville to TV, his quick wit and one-liners kept him on the national radar for decades. But it was his work doing shows for American troops, from World War II to the Gulf War, that cemented his place in history. Even Congress recognized him as the first honorary veteran.
6. George Burns (1896–1996): The Century’s Comic Wisecracker
George Burns had the longevity of a career to match his cigar. Alongside his wife, Gracie Allen, he built a comedy empire, and when she retired, he reinvented himself. In his 80s, he won an Oscar for The Sunshine Boys and went on to play God himself in Oh, God! Queried on living to age 100, his ageless response was, “If you live to be one hundred, you’ve got it made. Very few people die past that age.”
5. David Rockefeller (1915–2017): The International Banker
David Rockefeller was not merely born wealthy—double it and set to work remaking the world. While serving as chief executive of Chase Manhattan, he was one of the most influential figures in world banking and a co-founder of the Trilateral Commission. A committed philanthropist, he gave millions to science, the arts, and conservation before he died at 101.
4. Estelle Winwood (1883–1984): Broadway’s Eternal Star
Estelle Winwood’s life took her from Edwardian London to Hollywood in the 1970s. She swept Broadway, film, and television, performing Murder by Death at age 93 and working through to 96. After being asked once how old she was, she snapped back, “How rude of you to remind me!” That wit, added to longevity, made her unforgettable.
3. Kirk Douglas (1916–2020): Hollywood’s Gladiator
Kirk Douglas fought his way from poverty to Hollywood fame, through classics like Spartacus and Paths of Glory. He broke the Hollywood blacklist, using blacklisted screenwriters, and kept acting despite a debilitating stroke. Douglas was a star, but he was also a fighter who would never surrender.
2. Olivia de Havilland (1916–2020): The Rebel Trailblazer
Best known as Melanie in Gone with the Wind, Olivia de Havilland also remade the law in Hollywood. Her landmark lawsuit against Warner Bros. freed actors from lifetime studio contracts—the “De Havilland Law” still stands. With two Oscars and a five-decade career, she lived to 104 as one of the last surviving links to Hollywood’s Golden Age.
1. Jimmy Carter (1924–2024): The President Who Kept Giving
Jimmy Carter’s solitary White House term was just the beginning. Once he stepped down, he dedicated himself to doing good—fighting disease, tracking elections, and swinging hammers with Habitat for Humanity. Lived to 100, he redefined the post-presidency, bequeathing a legacy of public service that overshadowed politics.
These centenarians didn’t merely mark time, but rather lived a century in art, activism, humor, and humanity. They are reminders that longevity is great, but living with intention is what makes a legend.