Mae West: Age 114

By enjoying herself until age 87, Mae West [17 August 1893 – 22 November 1980] outlived many of her contemporaries, for example, writer Dorothy Parker [ 22 August 1893 – 7 June 1967].
• • It's extraordinary to learn that a Japanese woman Yone Minagawa, who was born on 4 January 1893 — — seven months before Mae West — — has just died at age 114. Briefly considered to be the world's oldest person, Yone Minagawa was as alert and lively as ever until the moment she got into bed for her eternal rest, according to her caretaker. Mrs. Minagawa, who enjoyed good food and a bit of alcohol, died Monday [13 August 2007] at a nursing home in Japan's southwestern Fukuoka prefecture. "She was sprightly until a day before," the caretaker told AFP. "When I found her, she looked as if she was sleeping peacefully."
• • Though she achieved a fleeting bit of fame by living so long, this Japanese "celebrity" did not enjoy a lot of pampering. Minagawa was widowed at an early age. She raised her five children by selling flowers and vegetables in a coal mining town.
• • Minagawa — — born the same year as Mao Zedong and Mae West — — counted her healthy appetite and getting a good night's sleep as the key to her longevity. . . .
• • Next in line for the title of "the world's oldest person" is an American woman, according to the International Committee on Supercentenarians, a US-based group which documents longevity records.
• • Edna Parker, who lives in the midwestern state of Indiana, is also 114, having been born on 20 April 1893 — — which was four months before Mae West's August 17th birthdate. ...
• • Supposedly, Japanese women are the world's oldest humans, with a life expectancy of 85.81 years; experts attribute this to a healthy diet and a high standard of medical care. More than 28,000 Japanese are 100 years or older, up from a mere 1,000 at the start of the 1980s.
• • Following Minagawa, the oldest person in Japan is Shitsu Nakano, 113, who also lives in a nursing home in Fukuoka prefecture. Now Mrs. Nakano ranks fourth among the world's supercentenarians. Southern Japan, with its more balmy climate, is particularly renowned for longevity. ...
— — excerpt — —
• • Source: AFP
• • Byline: Harumi Ozawa
• • Published on: 14 August 2007
• • Sashay to the "wild WEST" for a lively time with Mae West on Friday evening 17 August 2007, when a guided tour will explore Manhattan's MAE WEST-side during the "Mae West Side Story" walking tour. The event — — open to the public — — is timed to salute Brooklyn's own sexpot on her birthdate.
• • On August 17th the tour begins on Broadway and West 50th Street [NE corner] at 7:00 PM. As participants visit over a dozen WESTside locations significant to Mae West, they will enjoy rare antique photographs that show how the building looked when the actress rehearsed, performed, socialized, or got into mischief there. These startling vintage views also show how Mae looked when she was inside.
• • [See the Annual Mae West Gala posting below for the tour price and details.]
• • Only 2 more days until Mae's birthday on August 17th!
• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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Mae West
• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1934 • •
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Mae West.