The average lifespan for men and women in the United States is 78.8 years and 83.1 years, respectively, according to a 2018 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

That’s a big increase from 1900.

Back then, it was only 47 years old—but still not as long as what people are living now.

Many people don’t even reach 75.

Average life expectancy at birth varies greatly between countries, and there are many factors that affect our chances of living longer lives.

For example, Japan has an average lifespan of 86 years while Swaziland has one of 55 years old.

Men tend to outlive women by 5-6 years on average—though this gap is narrowing as more women live longer than ever before due to better healthcare practices and improved lifestyles.

Long life is a huge blessing.

We all dream of living a long life, but for some people, it’s just a pipe dream.

However, America’s oldest person celebrated her birthday with friends and family in early November at a party thrown by her nursing home.

She turned 115 years old.

The lady goes by the name Bessie Hendricks and she resides in Iowa.

Every time a person surpasses the age of one hundred, it is an amazing accomplishment that garners media attention.

And this centenarian rightfully deserves to be honored and featured in the media.

Bessie deserves to be in headlines.

She has seen a lot of history, so you might say she is legendary.

She has lived long enough to have witnessed the election of 21 presidents, two wars, two championships for the Chicago Cubs in the World Series, and even the Titanic’s sinking.

She and her living children celebrated.

Joan Schaffer, her oldest child, turned 90 the day before Bessie turned 115. That’s nothing short of incredible.

Shirley, Glenda, and Leon, her three younger siblings, were also present.

Even if this is already rather fantastic, it would have been a spectacular celebration if the five children were complete.

She is the oldest American alive.

Before Bessie, two other people held the record until their untimely deaths. Mila Mangold died in July of last year, while Thelma Sutcliffe passed away in January.

Bessie ranks 10th in the world.

At least in terms of age. Her family regards her strength as her secret.

“Her mother died when she was about 13 and she raised her siblings after that. And when she taught school, she lived right across the road from where she taught school, so she had no reason not to go, not to make it to school,” Joan shared proudly of her mother’s strength.

With balloons, hats, and cake, the staff members and employees enjoyed the occasion with the family.

The song “You Are My Sunshine,” a favorite of their mother, was sung by her kids.

Leon remembered how frequently she sang to them.

Even the residents looked forward to her singing that song as they wheeled her about when she was a resident of the nursing home.

It was just right that everyone sings it to her on this special occasion.

Witness Bessie’s 115th birthday celebration in the video below!.

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Source: KCCI – Youtube, Gerontology Wiki, KWQC