I'm looking for some good inspirational stories of people who achieved
great success after the age of 60.  I would like to use these for my
father's 60th birthday.  It would be much preferable if the people
were well known.

Dear Goodguy, 

Oh, 60 is so young, only half way through. 

Ronald Reagan
-------------
Became the governor of California at 61, and later also became US President. 

Sam Snead  May 27, 1912 - May 23, 2002 
---------
"Sam Snead, the golfing great known as "Slammin' Sam" winner of seven
major championships and a record 81 PGA Tour events"... ". Snead won
the Par 3 Tournament in 1974 when he was 61, but he was ageless in so
many other tournaments." (SOURCE , Obituary,
<http://www.obituariestoday.com/Obituaries/ObitShow.cfm?Obituary_ID=28383&section=pin>).

Gandhi
------
"Gandhi's life of civil disobedience began while he was a young lawyer
in South Africa when, because he was a dark-skinned Indian, he was
told to move to a third-class seat on a train even though he held a
first-class ticket. He refused, and ended up spending the night on a
desolate platform. It culminated in 1930, when he was 61, and he and
his followers marched 240 miles in 24 days to make their own salt from
the sea in defiance of British colonial laws and taxes. By the time he
reached the sea, several thousand had joined his march, and all along
India's coast thousands more were doing the same. More than 60,000
were eventually arrested, including Gandhi, but it was clear who would
end up the victors. " (SOURCE: Time 100 People of the Century
<http://www.time.com/time/time100/poc/magazine/who_mattered_and_why4c.html>).
Gandhi later became the leader of independent india.

William Jennings Bryan 
----------------------
Began his furious campaign against the teaching of evolution in
schools when he was 61 (People & Events: William Jennings Bryan
(1860-1925), <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/monkeytrial/peopleevents/p_bryan.html>).

Benjamin Franklin 
-----------------
"At age 70?in 1776?Franklin played an instrumental role in drafting
and signing the Declaration of Independence.
[...]
At age 81, Franklin signed the Constitution of the United States of America. " 
(SOURCE: Benjamin Franklin - the Statesman Years, School for
Champions, <http://www.school-for-champions.com/biographies/franklin3.htm>).

Frank McCourt 
-------------
The author who wrote the bestseller "Angela's Ashes" began to write
first in his sixties.
Harper Collins: <http://www.harpercollins.com.au/books/book_notes.cfm?ISBN=000649840X&Author=0000547>

Finally, Deepak Chopra writes: "A baby girl born in America today is
expected to live just less than eighty years; an infant boy has a life
expectancy of almost seventy-four. Historically, there are many people
who have lived to ripe old ages and have made major contributions to
civilization. Leonardo da Vinci was drawing sketches in his sixties,
Leo Tolstoy was writing novels into his seventies, and Michelangelo
was sculpting in his eighties. Winston Churchill, with his fondness
for cigars and Scotch, was active and productive until his death at
age ninety. " (SOURCE: Deepak Chopra, Grow Younger, Live Longer, Part
6, <http://www.spiritsite.com/writing/deecho/part34.shtml>)>

I hope that helps! 

My search strategy: to search for terms such as "in his sixties",
"when he was 61", etc.

Please contact me if you need any further clarifications on this
answer before you rate it, and of course - happy birthday to your dad!

---

Request for Answer Clarification by goodguy99-ga on 05 Mar 2004 12:14 PST

Thanks for your reply.  Unfortunately it was too late for me to use,
but I still appreciate it.

---

Clarification of Answer by politicalguru-ga on 05 Mar 2004 12:51 PST

Sorry about that. Of course, had I known that you alerady had a
birthday I wouldn't have answered!

Thank you for the rating.

Here are a few good examples of people who achieved success late in life:

"Chaucer wrote his CANTERBURY TALES between the age of 54 and 61.
Ogilby, the translator of Homer and Virgil, knew little of Latin or
Greek till he was past 50. Socrates learned to play on musical
instruments at age 80. Columbus was well over 50 when he discovered
America. Grandma Moses achieved her fame and success after age 90."

http://www.smlc-elca.org/Sunday_sermons/july_27_2003_sermon.html

Greetings Goodguy99:

Where's the beef?
Clara Pellar, one-time spokesperson for Wendy's Fast Food, rose to
fame in her later years as an actress for Wendy's proclaiming "Where's
the beef?"
http://www.tvacres.com/admascots_clarapeller.htm

I also located a book you may want to order titled "Late Achievers:
Famous People Who Succeeded Late in Life" at
http://www.traveldirectorynet.co.uk/books/LAN/0872879372_Late_Achievers_Famous_People_Who_Succeeded_Late_in_Life.html
"Presents the success stories of such notables as Vaclav Havel, Clara
Hale, Grandma Moses, Albert Schweitzer, Billy Sunday, Lech Walesa,
Laura Ingalls Wilder, Norman Cousins, and Dr. Ruth Westheimer."

Best regards,
journalist-ga


SEARCH STRATEGY:

famous late in life
"late achievers"

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Germany's greatest literary figure,
completed Faust in his eighties.

Don't forget Winston Churchill.

He was well past 60 before he landed the top job.

In fact, he'd been 'in the wilderness' for years before being called
into the war Cabinet in September 1939.

Don't forget Winston Churchill.

He was 65 before he landed the top job.

In fact, he'd been 'in the wilderness' for twelve years before being called
into the war Cabinet in September 1939.