The guy could have shaken the hands of Abraham Lincoln and then later on Adolf Hitler. He could as a child witnessed the rifles muskets of the Civil War and the bombers and tanks of WW2
"You Bet Your Life" from 1958. My favourite one for this kind of show was "I've Got a Secret" in 1956, where one of the guests was in Ford's Theater when Lincoln was shot. It's one of those things about history where we tend to subconsciously spread things out when that isn't really the case: someone who was 5 when the American Civil War started would be 58 when WW1 started and 83 when WW2 started. There were almost certainly people who saw Sherman's March to the Sea and lived to hear about
Me too. Amazing that all of these are available on Youtube now. I binged as many “To Tell The Truth”, “I’ve Got A Secret”, “You Bet Your Life”, and similar shows that I could.
There's a video claiming he wasn't over 100... and in fact died at age 78. It also states that the notoriety from the Groucho Marx show was so strong, it overshadowed the truth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5cM3uKwKqc "...his reported birth year (1856) and age (102 in 1958) have raised skepticism and led to theories of possible fraud or an alternative identity, as some family records suggest a different birth date and a possible connection to his stepfather, also named Carter. "
Using the numbers he gives, of 16 kids, 69 grandkids, 39 great grandkids and 19 great-great grandkids, that comes out to 143 total. That's pretty close to the host's estimate of 150. And since he got started having kids at around 20, 80 -odd years is plenty of time to have that many descendants, especially if your kids all also have large families.
The one thing that doesn't add up for me (but could be explained by an affair that didn't lead to divorce): if his youngest child is 36 and his oldest is 82, they can't be from the same woman. He would have been 66 at making the oldest, and 20 at making the youngest. Fertility range for women doesn't span 46 years without fertility treatment at higher age.
Some conflicting info, with news clippings saying he was still skating at the age of 107, and the gravestone saying he was born in 1887 and died in 1966.
Yeah, his born in 1856 claim has to be an outright lie. He'd have been serving in WW1 in his 60s. But if the 1887 date was correct, more like 30. Same for the prison record with photo. The man was not mid 60s in that photo.
The gravestone is probably a different Otto Carter from the guy in the news clippings. One clipping lists his DOB as Jan 5, 1856, and the stone says Aug 8, 1887. Hell, the gravestone could be the other guy's son.
Married 72 years, oldest kid 82. The numbers are STAGGERING. I don't expect to live as long as he was married. Bonkers. AND he's up and coherent and puttering around a TV interview at 102??
Just putting this out there: many people claiming over 100 years, are actually not that old. Often times they falsified their age for retirement reasons, or their actual dates of birth are undocumented, or they just counted wrong (hell, after 30 I started losing count, by 60 I'll just start saying I'm 342). There was a big study done on the super aged populations of Greece and Japan and that's what they found, more or less.
His youngest is 36. That means he fathered a child at 66 years old. Surely not with his wife of 72 years, because she would have had to be like 60 when she had that kid, and that is a... dangerous pregnancy (if she hadn't entered menopause decades before). Math: 82 years old - 36 years old = 46 year difference. Assuming at LEAST 14 years old when they married and she gave birth to oldest kid = 60 years old.
I hope you do, and are healthy and feisty the whole time! I've got a whole bouquet of autoimmune diseases so odds aren't amazing for me. Pro tip - get born with really nice genetics if you want to live super long.
Took care of a lady in the nursing home I used to work at who was mostly independent and mentally sharp at 108. She was only in the home for rehab after a hip replacement. I found out later she died 2 years later at Lions Club BINGO. Just put her head down on the table and… went.
110, quite a run. I had a 102 year old patient this last summer that would joke about what he was gonna do when he was 140. Super cool guy, was a Polish partisan fighter in WW2
I once took care of a 102 year old woman who only needed meds set up for her because her eyes weren't the greatest. She still got around, every time we asked her what her secret was she said she never married lol
I took a sex and gender sociology class in college, and learned that single women live longer than married women, and married men live longer than single men.
I learned the same thing in 2001 in a college sociology class. I hadn't been super into the idea of marriage before that but learning that put the nail in the coffin. 43 now, never been married, never will.
I’m assuming he had a second wife because even if the first kid was born when the wife was 16, the youngest would’ve been born when the wife was 62. He was 66 when the youngest gets was born.
redfivve
The guy could have shaken the hands of Abraham Lincoln and then later on Adolf Hitler. He could as a child witnessed the rifles muskets of the Civil War and the bombers and tanks of WW2
SparklyAntelope
I don't want to live that long.
Nalianna
He's 102? I'm not even half that age and I'm exhausted.
cabalin
To be able to physically stand there with ease and have his mind at 102!
Affray
I'd gladly be a motionless potato man when I'm old so long as I keep my mind.
pullingsixty
Nothing wrong with his brain!
SoberAndBored
"You Bet Your Life" from 1958. My favourite one for this kind of show was "I've Got a Secret" in 1956, where one of the guests was in Ford's Theater when Lincoln was shot. It's one of those things about history where we tend to subconsciously spread things out when that isn't really the case: someone who was 5 when the American Civil War started would be 58 when WW1 started and 83 when WW2 started. There were almost certainly people who saw Sherman's March to the Sea and lived to hear about
SoberAndBored
Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
HappyBanjoGuy
Me too. Amazing that all of these are available on Youtube now. I binged as many “To Tell The Truth”, “I’ve Got A Secret”, “You Bet Your Life”, and similar shows that I could.
cytherians
There's a video claiming he wasn't over 100... and in fact died at age 78. It also states that the notoriety from the Groucho Marx show was so strong, it overshadowed the truth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5cM3uKwKqc
"...his reported birth year (1856) and age (102 in 1958) have raised skepticism and led to theories of possible fraud or an alternative identity, as some family records suggest a different birth date and a possible connection to his stepfather, also named Carter. "
Jimthebutler
Man helped spawn a small village.
silentjay01
Well, back when he was born, you were expected to pump out a kid about once a year as you figured you'd lose half your kids before they made it to 10.
GordonFreeman59
He's the first villager you get when you play a new game of Age of Empires.
SrPootStank
69 grandchildren. Nice.
r0b0tc0rpse
what are the chances he was lying about his age?
ProfessorBanesworth
About 102%.
HelikaformerNubisKnight9
I don't think he lied, but I asume they weren't on point about birth date etc. 170 years ago.
Feralkyn
Honestly, though, I don't think it's *possible* for his oldest to be 82 and him not to be at least within 5 years of that.
ElbowDeepInUserSub
2 people * 102 years = 150 people... not sure that's healthy math to be proud of.
nopo
Using the numbers he gives, of 16 kids, 69 grandkids, 39 great grandkids and 19 great-great grandkids, that comes out to 143 total. That's pretty close to the host's estimate of 150. And since he got started having kids at around 20, 80 -odd years is plenty of time to have that many descendants, especially if your kids all also have large families.
thatwastooclose
I mean it does gloss over the other spouses, so not quite down to two people but still a hell of a count
pullingsixty
Different world when he was starting out.
TimmyTimm
He had his youngest girl when he was 65
MotherEffinSatan
Yeah, either gramps fucked someone other than his wife, or she pumped one out waaaaaay passed the deadline.
allenvasher3000
Usually when these claims are investigated they turn out to but false,
RubyPorto
/gallery/XPaSpvR/comment/2472222267 Looks like that's true of this guy too
JacktheKind
The one thing that doesn't add up for me (but could be explained by an affair that didn't lead to divorce): if his youngest child is 36 and his oldest is 82, they can't be from the same woman. He would have been 66 at making the oldest, and 20 at making the youngest. Fertility range for women doesn't span 46 years without fertility treatment at higher age.
Minty737
Fertility can in some individual women last into 60's and 70's
merlelilou
I think its the youngest grandchild who is 36. And then he have some greatgrandchildren and greatgreatgrandchildren...
cytherians
Well, he said he was married for 72 years, but he didn't qualify that by individual wife. 😏
MissivesFromTheTower
Is that Groucho Marx?
FeloniousMonk13
No this is Patrick
tbone413
Yes it is
TranscendentMonkeyNutsRupturingAndReIeasingAVelociraptor
Well it’s not his sister
MissivesFromTheTower
Nvm, it's him. I looked up the old guy as well, and found this:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/76232690/otto_don-marine_carter
Some conflicting info, with news clippings saying he was still skating at the age of 107, and the gravestone saying he was born in 1887 and died in 1966.
LuLuPennyAndOdium44
Missing teeth makes you look ancient
Raenon
Yeah, his born in 1856 claim has to be an outright lie. He'd have been serving in WW1 in his 60s. But if the 1887 date was correct, more like 30. Same for the prison record with photo. The man was not mid 60s in that photo.
RevengeIsIceCream
So he died when he was 78?
RichterCa
The gravestone is probably a different Otto Carter from the guy in the news clippings. One clipping lists his DOB as Jan 5, 1856, and the stone says Aug 8, 1887. Hell, the gravestone could be the other guy's son.
MissivesFromTheTower
Could be - I clicked two or three different links from Google, and they lead me to a page saying the entries were merged.
annonymouse211
Married 72 years, oldest kid 82. The numbers are STAGGERING. I don't expect to live as long as he was married. Bonkers. AND he's up and coherent and puttering around a TV interview at 102??
Strategicgnomer
Just putting this out there: many people claiming over 100 years, are actually not that old. Often times they falsified their age for retirement reasons, or their actual dates of birth are undocumented, or they just counted wrong (hell, after 30 I started losing count, by 60 I'll just start saying I'm 342). There was a big study done on the super aged populations of Greece and Japan and that's what they found, more or less.
ProfessorBanesworth
Yeah, he was lying. About a few things. Groucho Marx was a comedian, so this very well may have been a bit.
Makerofroads
His youngest is 36. That means he fathered a child at 66 years old. Surely not with his wife of 72 years, because she would have had to be like 60 when she had that kid, and that is a... dangerous pregnancy (if she hadn't entered menopause decades before).
Math:
82 years old - 36 years old = 46 year difference.
Assuming at LEAST 14 years old when they married and she gave birth to oldest kid = 60 years old.
Omegasaurus
He didn't ever say he only had one wife
Jonson71
@annonymouse211 you don't think you'll live to the age of 72?? I'm in meh physical shape but I expect for sure to live to 90.
annonymouse211
I hope you do, and are healthy and feisty the whole time! I've got a whole bouquet of autoimmune diseases so odds aren't amazing for me. Pro tip - get born with really nice genetics if you want to live super long.
freezingpilot
Honestly, if his kid made it to 82, there might be some strong genetics at play.
zombiejedediah
He's running for senator in 2026.
Relusion
Ok that shit has me rolling lmao
bottledham
Top comment right there
MoistyFart
https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPWE1NzM3M2U1bG1zZDNsOW5wandhdzhlNDMxdTZ0NTR5emt4MDE1amI1MHAyeWRpaiZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/fUYhyT9IjftxrxJXcE/200w.webp
OmnesMundiLardum
Well sharper than most currently in office
darthbiscuit
Took care of a lady in the nursing home I used to work at who was mostly independent and mentally sharp at 108. She was only in the home for rehab after a hip replacement. I found out later she died 2 years later at Lions Club BINGO. Just put her head down on the table and… went.
AtomicCarp
110, quite a run. I had a 102 year old patient this last summer that would joke about what he was gonna do when he was 140. Super cool guy, was a Polish partisan fighter in WW2
Dishlexic
I once took care of a 102 year old woman who only needed meds set up for her because her eyes weren't the greatest. She still got around, every time we asked her what her secret was she said she never married lol
LadyClio
I took a sex and gender sociology class in college, and learned that single women live longer than married women, and married men live longer than single men.
Kasemoch
I learned the same thing in 2001 in a college sociology class. I hadn't been super into the idea of marriage before that but learning that put the nail in the coffin. 43 now, never been married, never will.
Dishlexic
They take our life force through stress lol
mothergrowsbest
his wife is dead. if she died at 90 and they married at 18, their kid wouldve been 72 when she died and 82 at time of interview. the numbers line up
Pinky135
Do they still line up considering the youngest was 36?
drivinonsunshine
I’m assuming he had a second wife because even if the first kid was born when the wife was 16, the youngest would’ve been born when the wife was 62. He was 66 when the youngest gets was born.
Makerofroads
I don't think they do
nopo
They do if the mother wasn't his wife. It's unlikely as hell, but it's not totally unbelievable.