Guest guest Posted October 6, 2007 Report Share Posted October 6, 2007 You’re Never Too Old Benjamin Franklin helped frame the Constitution of the United States – when he was 80! Alfred Tennyson – one of the great poets of all time – wrote his famous poem, “Crossing the Bar” – when he was 83! Daniel DeFoe, author of “Robinson Crusoe,” wrote more than 25 books – after the age of 67! Leopold Stokowsky was still one of the great symphony orchestra conductors of the world – at the age of 87! Oliver Wendell Holmes was still handing down decisions as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court when he was in his 90’s. Henry Ford took over the presidency of the Ford Motor Car Co. for the second time at the death of his son – when he was past 80! Grandma Moses was still painting her famous, and costly, landscapes at the age of 101! The great author Goethe was 80 years old when he finished the great epic of his life “Faust.” Plato, the Greek philosopher, was still writing and teaching in Athens at the age of 80! At the age of 77, Luther Burbank, America naturalist, was still actively engaged in more than 2,500 experiments going on at the same time. Giuseppe Verdi wrote his great opera “Othello” at the age of 74. He composed “Falstaff” when he was 80 and “Ave Marie” when he was 85. Dwight D. Eisenhower was 70 years and 98 days old when he completed his term as President of the United States. Harry Truman didn’t even start taking an active part in politics until he was 51 – and ended up President of the United States. Stradivarius was the most famous make of violins of all time. His instruments still sell for a fortune. He didn’t make his first violin until he was past 60! Cervantes completed his famous “Don Quixote” when he was 70! George Bernard Shaw wrote his hit play “Saint Joan” – at the age of 67! Micel Chevreul, a famous scientist, was still working every day in his laboratory on color research at the age of 103! Benjamin Franklin was Ambassador to France at the age of 78 – and started writing his famous autobiography when he was 80! Michelangelo didn’t even start his great work of art—St. Peter’s Cathedral—until he was 72 years old. He was still working on his masterpiece when he died at the age of 89! John Thompson, a New York banker, found Chase Manhattan National Bank—one of the great banks of the world – when he was 75. Samuel Morse, a portrait painter, successfully tested his new-fangled telegraph machine when he was 53 years old. Jack Johnson, one-time heavyweight champion of the world, was still fighting exhibition bouts with opponents less than half his age – when he was 67! Jimmy Durante and Jack Benny were still headlining the big shows on the Las Vegas “strip” in the late 70’s. Igor Stravinsky was still composing his fabulous music when he was 80. Thomas Edison was still busy experimenting in his laboratory at the age of 84. General Douglas MacArthur came out of retirement at the age of 61 to lead the Allies to victory in the Pacific in World War II. Pablo Casals was considered the greatest cellist in the world – at the age of 90! Commodore Vanderbilt added more than one hundred million dollars to his fortune after he reached 80! U.S. Grant was a failure at the age of 40 – a few years later he was President of the United States. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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