The other day a friend of mine sent a URL that would 'calculate' an individual's virtual age and life expectancy. Just a fun sort of diversion.
That got me thinking . . . . .
so I went downstairs and fired-up my pc and went to Family Tree Maker program and brought up my direct-line ancestors and their age at time of death.
I used data from a limited number of generations so that a more balanced data base would be used. My maternal direct-line ancestors is very much limited compared to my paternal ancestors.
I went back five generations - to my great-great-great-grandparents.
The number of individuals doubles each generation as we research our ancestors. In order for me to exist it would take 62 individuals. That is:
2 parents
4 grand parents
8 great-grandparents
16 great-great-grandparents
32 great-great-great-grandparents
64 individuals in all
Okay, so I have data on twenty-seven of the sixty-four individuals required. This is what I have to work with for this project.
My findings
Of these twenty-seven ancestors - :
Data compiled using:
both parents
three grandparents
six great-grandparents
eight great-great-grandparents
eight great-great-great-grandparents
Average Life Span [ca. these decades]
Parents = 67 years [1900-1999]
Grandparents = 65 years [1890s-1960s]
Great-grandparents = 64 years [1850s-1930s]
Great-great-grandparents = 73 years [1810-1920s]
Great-great-great-grandparents = 68 years [1750s-1870s]
average life span overall = 68 years
The ancestor with the longest life span lived 89 years [female]
The ancestor with the shortest life span lived 41 years [male]
Longest and shortest Lived
Male = 83 years / 41 years
Female = 89 years / 57 years
Four ancestors lived until their 80s
Ten ancestors lived until their 70s
Seven ancestors lived until their 60s
Five ancestors lived until their 50s
One ancestor lived until his 40s
So there it is. One of the things I find interesting is that the two generations that lived the longest lived during the last half of the 1750s through 1870s
and 1810 thru 1920s.
3 comments:
I guess this means that I can expect to live into my early 70s.
It is curious that the great, great grandparents had the longest average life-span.
Hey, why not trying to break the record?
Who sez they ALWAYS DIED young?
Also the myth that they always married young. Perhaps I'll add a few more numbers to the blog.
I am doing my best. At my best count I am 80 years and 6 months of age.
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