A British man who served in World War II as an airman recently turned 100 years old — and celebrated in style with two different birthday parties.
John Fife, who lives in Clevedon, in North Somerset in the U.K., turned 100 on Dec. 26, 2024. He told the local press that he thinks the smartphone has been one of the most significant inventions in his lifetime — plus he shared his tips for living a long and healthy life.
Born and educated in Edinburgh, Fife said he was called up for national service with the Royal Air Force in 1943. He trained as a wireless operator and air gunner in the RAF. He then served with Coastal Command Air/Sea Rescue until he was demobilized in 1946.
After leaving the military, Fife got married and started a career in the civil service with the Post Office Savings Bank in two different locations.
He, his wife, and their two sons moved to Glasgow in 1966 where, following the separation of the Savings Bank from the Post Office, he worked on setting up a new headquarters for the Savings Bank, known today in the U.K. as National Savings & Investments, the same source noted.
He says that staying active is one of his keys to longevity.
“I start each day with a fixed goal, such as a long walk or going to church, and I love completing jigsaws,” he said, as SWNS reported. He said he’s also “made new friends and started new activities since moving to Coleridge Court in 2022.”
When asked for his secrets of living a long life, Fife was quite clear.
“Make a decision to do things and carry them out and do what you can to help the less fortunate,” he said.
Fife is among a rare group of individuals. Here in the US, approximately 0.03% of the US population are centenarians. However, the number of centenarians is expected to increase significantly in the coming decades, potentially reaching 0.1% of the population by 2054. Unlike Fife, the majority of centenarians are women.
Japan is the country with the highest rate of centenarians, at 6 for every 10,000 people or approximately 0.06 percent. Uruguay, Hong Kong, and Puerto Rico are also home to some of the highest levels of centenarians.
