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Longevity

When these happened

28 dated records from 1796 to 2024. Each is drawn as wide as its date is certain — a band is a band because nobody knows the year, not because the drawing is imprecise.

180018251850187519001925195019752000Jenner inoculates James Phipps with cowpox — 1796-05-14Gompertz describes the exponential rise of adult mortality — 1825The Broad Street pump handle is removed — 1854-09-08Routine chlorination of a municipal water supply begins in the United States — 1908Fleming observes lysis around a Penicillium colony — 1928-09Caloric restriction extends rodent lifespan — 1935The first patient is treated with penicillin at Oxford — 1941-02Human diploid cells are shown to have a finite replicative capacity — 1961The last naturally acquired smallpox case begins, at Marka — 1977-10-26Fries proposes the compression of morbidity — 1980The World Health Assembly declares smallpox eradicated — 1980-05-08A single-gene mutation doubles nematode lifespan — 1993Jeanne Calment dies at 122 years and 164 days — 1997-08-04The NIA Interventions Testing Program begins — 2004Rapamycin extends mouse lifespan when started in late life — 2009Wisconsin reports that caloric restriction reduces age-related mortality in rhesus monkeys — 2009TAME is proposed as the first trial with an ageing endpoint — c. 2015 (status as of 2026 unconfirmed)The NIA rhesus study reports no significant survival benefit — 2012The hallmarks of ageing are formalised — 2013The multi-tissue epigenetic clock is published — 2013CALERIE reports two-year results in humans — 2015The first senolytic drugs are identified — 2015A natural limit to human lifespan is argued for, and disputed — 2016Calment's record is publicly challenged — 2018Mortality is reported to plateau after age 105 — 2018Senolytics reach human patients for the first time — 2019The pandemic erases a decade of life expectancy gains — 2020–2021Caloric restriction is reported to slow a pace-of-ageing measure — 2023
28 shown · 28 dated · 0 cannot be placed on an axis · Approximate or contested. Draw a band and do not sharpen its edges.
In order28
  1. 1796-05-14Jenner inoculates James Phipps with cowpox

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  2. 1825Gompertz describes the exponential rise of adult mortality

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  3. 1854-09-08The Broad Street pump handle is removed

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  4. 1908Routine chlorination of a municipal water supply begins in the United States

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  5. 1928-09Fleming observes lysis around a Penicillium colony

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  6. 1935Caloric restriction extends rodent lifespan

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  7. 1941-02The first patient is treated with penicillin at Oxford

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  8. 1961Human diploid cells are shown to have a finite replicative capacity

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  9. 1977-10-26The last naturally acquired smallpox case begins, at Marka

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  10. 1980Fries proposes the compression of morbidity

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  11. 1980-05-08The World Health Assembly declares smallpox eradicated

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  12. 1993A single-gene mutation doubles nematode lifespan

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  13. 1997-08-04Jeanne Calment dies at 122 years and 164 days

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  14. 2004The NIA Interventions Testing Program begins

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  15. 2009Rapamycin extends mouse lifespan when started in late life

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  16. 2009Wisconsin reports that caloric restriction reduces age-related mortality in rhesus monkeys

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  17. c. 2015 (status as of 2026 unconfirmed)TAME is proposed as the first trial with an ageing endpoint

    Sources disagree, or the dating is contested. Stated, not resolved.

  18. 2012The NIA rhesus study reports no significant survival benefit

    Sources disagree, or the dating is contested. Stated, not resolved.

  19. 2013The hallmarks of ageing are formalised

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  20. 2013The multi-tissue epigenetic clock is published

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  21. 2015CALERIE reports two-year results in humans

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  22. 2015The first senolytic drugs are identified

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  23. 2016A natural limit to human lifespan is argued for, and disputed

    Sources disagree, or the dating is contested. Stated, not resolved.

  24. 2018Calment's record is publicly challenged

    Sources disagree, or the dating is contested. Stated, not resolved.

  25. 2018Mortality is reported to plateau after age 105

    Sources disagree, or the dating is contested. Stated, not resolved.

  26. 2019Senolytics reach human patients for the first time

    It happened, and the record is settled.

  27. 2020–2021The pandemic erases a decade of life expectancy gains

    It was measured or witnessed, with the observation cited.

  28. 2023Caloric restriction is reported to slow a pace-of-ageing measure

    It happened, and the record is settled.