Aging Trivia

We ask a trivia question each week in our newsletter (subscribe here!). Check out our latest question at the top, and scroll down for past weeks’ trivia.

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What became a normal part of U.S. mailing addresses in 1963?

The United States Post Office Department on July 1, 1963 added a Zone Improvement Plan Code, aka ZIP Code, to all U.S. addresses. The goal: to speed up and eventually automate mail sorting methods. But according to the Office of Inspector General, ZIP Codes, “ended up creating unimagined socio-economic benefits as an organizing and enabling device. The ZIP Code became a social tool for
organizing and displaying demographic information, a support structure for entire industries such as insurance and real estate, and even a representation of social identities as observed in the television series Beverly Hills, 90210.”

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By what year will all baby boomers be at least age 65?

The baby boomer generation spans 1946, following World War II, to 1964. That means by 2030, all living baby boomers will have reached at least age 65, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

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What percentage of adults are caring for a parent age 65 or older?

10% of all U.S. adults say they are a caregiver for a parent age 65 or older, according to a study from the Pew Research Center.

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How old was Greek playwright Sophocles when he wrote his last play, Oedipus at Colonus?

Sophocles wrote Oedipus at Colonus, a play about aging, in his 90s. The play tells the story of Oedipus’ later life, when he is blind and spends years wandering in exile after his sons and the city of Thebes reject him. He eventually arrives at a suburb of Athens called Colonus, and the king of Athens, Theseus, guarantees him protection there. In the end, the earth of Colonus swallows up Oedipus, and he becomes a benevolent power, defending the land that gave him refuge. Sophocles’ grandson produced the play after his grandfather’s death in 406 B.C.