Sunday May 5, 2013...Survivors

Life Expectancy	Age
Calendar period	0	10	20	30	40	50	60	70	80
White males
1850	38.3	48	40.1	34	27.9	21.6	15.6	10.2	5.9
1890	42.5	48.45	40.66	34.05	27.37	20.72	14.73	9.35	5.4
1900–1902	48.23	50.59	42.19	34.88	27.74	20.76	14.35	9.03	5.1
1909–1911	50.23	51.32	42.71	34.87	27.43	20.39	13.98	8.83	5.09
1919–1921	56.34	54.15	45.6	37.65	29.86	22.22	15.25	9.51	5.47
1929–1931	59.12	54.96	46.02	37.54	29.22	21.51	14.72	9.2	5.26
1939–1941	62.81	57.03	47.76	38.8	30.03	21.96	15.05	9.42	5.38
1949–1951	66.31	58.98	49.52	40.29	31.17	22.83	15.76	10.07	5.88
1959–1961	67.55	59.78	50.25	40.98	31.73	23.22	16.01	10.29	5.89

So someone born in 1941 could expect to live an average of 63 years.

But if that person survived till age 40 he could expect to live till 70.

At 70 that person can expect to live till about 80.

These later survivability numbers have held fairly consistent over the last century. Once you survived childhood diseases and youth accidents, you had good life expectancy.

This was true when social Security was first established and still true.

It's nice to be a survivor and to hope for a few more good years.