Some people collect birthdays. Willie Mae Jackson has collected history.
Jackson has lived through nineteen presidents, two world wars, the Great Depression, television, the internet, and now artificial intelligence. Willie Mae Jackson proves that every year is a blessing.
The Jacksonville resident recently celebrated an astonishing birthday, joining one of the world’s most exclusive clubs: supercentenarians, people who live one hundred ten or beyond. It’s a milestone so rare that only a tiny fraction of Americans ever reach it.
So, what’s the secret to living one hundred and ten years? Scientists are still trying to unlock the mystery of exceptional longevity.
“Exceptional longevity is the result of a combination of genes, lifestyle and plain good luck,” says Dr. Thomas Perls of Boston University’s New England Centenarian Study, one of the world’s foremost researchers on people who live beyond one hundred and ten.
Think about everything Willie Mae has witnessed. When she was born in 1916, Woodrow Wilson was president, automobiles were still a novelty, television didn’t exist, and sliced bread hadn’t even made its debut. Since then, she’s lived through two world wars, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement, the moon landing, the birth of the internet, smartphones, social media and now artificial intelligence.
Now that’s what you call a front-row seat to history.
Family, friends and caregivers gathered to celebrate the milestone with cake, laughter and plenty of stories. While birthdays often focus on the number of candles, this celebration was really about something far more, a life that has spanned more than a century of change.
Willie Mae’s life is also a reminder that age isn’t simply measured in years. It’s measured in memories, and the lives touched along the way.
Happy Birthday, Willie Mae! Every birthday is worth celebrating.
