Longevity(708 words)
Longevity refers to the length of the life span of humans, animals and plants. Although with regard to humans there are neither biological nor demographic criteria for the time when an individual has reached an exceptional point of old age, in demographic research such persons are generally considered long-lived who have reached the age of 100 years or more (centenarians). Men and women at least 110 years of age are called supercentenarians.
Accounts of extremely long life spans are already to be found in the Bible, which served as a reference point for longevity …
Cite this page
Baten, Jörg and
Schwekendiek, Daniel,
“Longevity”, in:
Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012.
Consulted online on 22 March 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_SIM_023128>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20190801
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