Celebrating 100 Years

My grandmother recently celebrated her 100th birthday. She's been a Katy resident for the past 15 years, but she's lived in New York, California, and Florida. She is a product of her generation: She's never learned how to drive. She left school and began working for a living to support her family after she graduated the eighth grade. Then, she quit her nurse's aide position when she got married.

She used to be able to tell stories describing her childhood and growing up years. They were difficult for her, and for most people at the time. As we grew up, she always stressed to her us to do well in school and to work hard. She used to give us a dollar for every A we made on our report cards, and she always wanted to attend any school performances.

My grandfather had been in the Navy, and she supported my cousin when he decided to join up years ago. When my niece married a man in the Navy, my grandmother loved to share her experiences with her. It gave them a special bond.

Thanks to Leo and Kate, I knew that the Titanic was a big news story in 1912, but beyond that, it's hard to imagine all that my grandmother lived through to get to 2012. I had to use Google. Below are some of the things I discovered. Happy Birthday, Grandma! I hope I have the same good genes that you do!

January 1912 – New Mexico becomes the 47th state.
March 1912 – The Girl Scouts organization is founded in Georgia.
April 1912 – The Titanic sinks, and 1,517 people die.
May 1912 – Wilbur Wright dies, and the USS Texas, the largest U.S. warship, is launched.
July 1912 – Harry Houdini escapes handcuffs, leg irons, and an underwater coffin.
August 1912 – Victor Hess discovers cosmic rays.

Besides my grandma, other famous people were born in 1912 like Danny Thomas, Jackson Pollock, Lightnin' Hopkins, Karl Madden, and Perry Como.

If you have an older person in your family, it would be a special tribute to them to look things up and then tell them what you've found out about their birth year. It only took me a few minutes to discover so much, and when I shared it with Grandma, she was impressed. Share with us what you find; we'd love to hear your stories! Email editor@katymagazine.com.