octogenarian

12 Stories

New Biden Ad Tackles Age Issue Head-On

Campaign spot touts president's age as an advantage, leaning into his experience

(Newser) - Let's be blunt: We know Joe Biden is up there in years, you know it, and most voters know it . Now, the 81-year-old president running for a second term is addressing the age issue head-on in a new ad meant to soothe concerns that he doesn't have the...

Elderly Cancer Patient Pulls Off Grueling Feat at Grand Canyon

Fran Anderson, 81, finishes 24-mile rim-to-rim hike in 21 hours, with family by her side

(Newser) - An 81-year-old grandmother of nine with blood cancer who nearly died of pneumonia a few months back has pulled off a feat that would test even the healthiest among us. On Sept. 4, Fran Anderson of Orange, California, finished a rim-to-rim hike across the Grand Canyon, a 24-mile trek that...

Elderly Sweethearts Sought in Manhunt Die 48 Hours Apart

Ralph 'Terry' Gibbs said he abducted his sweetheart from nursing home out of love

(Newser) - An elderly couple's love story, which included an escape from a nursing home and a mad dash across Australia, has come to a sad end—and not just with a conviction for unlawfully detaining a mentally ill person. Ralph "Terry" Gibbs, 80, pleaded guilty to deprivation of liberty...

India's Rape Cases Continue to Shock

Latest incidents involve a coronavirus patient and an octogenarian

(Newser) - Women's rights campaigners are at the end of their wits following two shocking rape cases in India, just the latest to make headlines since a 2012 gang rape on a moving bus triggered an uproar over sexual violence in the country. In the first, a 19-year-old coronavirus patient was...

'Octogenarian Bingo Killer' Arrested in Spain

Cops say 84-year-old man knew victim from game

(Newser) - The Spanish press is calling him "El asesino octogenario del bingo"—the Octogenarian Bingo Killer. Police say an 84-year-old man has been arrested after a yearlong investigation into the murder of an 83-year-old woman in Fuenlabrada, near Madrid, the Guardian reports. The victim was stabbed to death in...

Tokyo's Hottest DJ Is an 82-Year-Old Woman

DJ Sumirock spent a year training to be a DJ at a local music school

(Newser) - Age may be nothing but a number, but one octogenarian in Tokyo is still defying the odds with her energy. Sumiko Iwamuro has spent six decades making dumplings in the restaurant she and her brother inherited from their family, but when her husband died in her 70s she decided to...

Their Parents Made Them Split 65 Years Ago. Now, a Wedding

Love prevails for Helen Andre, 82, and Davy Moakes, 86

(Newser) - Think it's not possible to feel like a teenager again when you reach your 80s? It's entirely possible, according to an English couple told to break off their engagement 65 years ago—and who finally got to tie the knot. "Even after all this time, it still...

Woman, 83, Sues Apple After Walking Into Glass Door

Evelyn Paswall wants $1M

(Newser) - "Apple wants to be cool and modern" with its nifty glass front doors, says the indignant lawyer for an 83-year-old woman who was foiled by those very doors, "but they have to realize that the elderly generation are their customers, too." Evelyn Paswall, the octogenarian in question,...

Guy, 83, Busted for Prostitution

Victim says he wanted her to repay loan by letting him perform sex acts

(Newser) - The most recent entry in the Unlikely Crimes category: A City Council candidate from Centerville, Iowa—who just happens to be an 83-year-old man—was arrested and charged with prostitution. The 33-year-old victim accuses Ben Clifford Dawson of offering to let her repay a loan by allowing him to perform...

What Age Are We Happiest?
 What Age Are We Happiest? 

What Age Are We Happiest?

In our 80s, research shows

(Newser) - Wait a second before you buy that "over the hill" cake for your buddy's 40th birthday: Research shows that satisfaction and optimism actually increase after we reach middle age, and peak as late as our 80s. Why? Responsibilities ease, maturity increases, and we are often able to focus on...

Slate Presents '80 Over 80'
 Slate Presents 
 '80 Over 80' 

Slate Presents '80 Over 80'

Influential octogenarians, from politicians to celebrities

(Newser) - Thirty under 30? Pshaw. Slate offers up its annual 80 Over 80, a list of politicians, industry leaders, and other icons who also happen to be really old, ranked in order of power and importance. The top five:
  1. Thomas S. Monson: The Mormon president, 83, acts as divine prophet for
...

8 Hilarious Octogenarians
 8 Hilarious Octogenarians 

8 Hilarious Octogenarians

A list inspired by—who else?—Betty White

(Newser) - Eighty-eight-year-old Betty White is definitely feeling the love these days, but she’s not the only hilarious octogenarian out there. Nerve lists the eight funniest people over age 80. Among them:
  • Elaine Stritch, 84: Best known for her work on Broadway, Stritch has also guest-starred on 3rd Rock From the
...

12 Stories