Jude Walter will be one hundred the next time the calendar turns to zeros. He may be joined by several others from these pages, given the trend of human longevity, but if any of them face 2099 with the same bright, open eyes of Joseph Napolitano, who turned one hundred in August, they will be hugely blessed. Imagine what he has seen--and then what all these men and boys have seen. Some of it is in their faces. What follows are portraits we photographed of men born in every year of this century. You are in here. So is your father. So is Don Knotts. A long life to you all. Long life, Ice Cube. Long life, master Jude. And, especially, long life, Mr. Napolitano.
1999 Jude Walter, Infant
Greatest achievement: Standing up in his crib.
1998 Jake Dillon Webber, Baby
Greatest achievement: Saying "Mama" and "Dada."
1997 Dan Hosannah, Toddler
Greatest achievement: Learning Japanese and English at the same time.
1996 Jack Freedman, Preschooler
Best day: "I fed Bo the sea lion and his sea-lion friends at the Miami Seaquarium on January 28, 1999."
1995
Danny Jacobs, Pre-kindergartner
Greatest achievement: Singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."
1994 Max Resetar, Kindergartner
Best day: "I lost my first tooth on August 20, 1999."
1993 Joshua Rodriguez, First grader
Best day: "I got a color Game Boy, April 16, 1999."
1992 T.J. Nieves, Second grader
Greatest achievement: "Going to school."
1991 Alexis Antonio Salcedo, Second grader
Greatest achievement: "Being an uncle."
1990 Eric Wong, Fourth grader
Greatest achievement: "Beating my cousin in basketball."
1989 Andy Silveus, Fourth grader
Greatest achievement: "Doing math. The advanced work is easier because there are less problems and they are more fun."
1988 Haley Joel Osment, Actor (The Sixth Sense), sixth grader
Greatest achievement: "Receiving straight A's during the entire fifth-grade school year."
1987 Noah Kraft, Seventh grader
Best day: "The day I won a sixty-four-draw tennis tournament."
1986 Douglas Kupferman, Eighth grader, son of Conrad Kupferman (1952)
Best day: "My bar mitzvah in Israel, July 3, 1999."
1985 Anthony C. Golden, Eighth grader
Greatest achievement: "I'm interested in becoming a sky diver in the future."
1984 Ben Meeker, Tenth grader
Greatest achievement: "Playing cello with the Westchester Youth Symphony at Carnegie Hall."
1983 Ross Kirsh, Eleventh grader
Best day: "Meeting the New Jersey Devils hockey team, September 11, 1997."
1982 Shawn Reynolds, Maintenance man
Best day: "I met my wonderful girlfriend, Ginger, December 5, 1998."
1981 George DeLucia, Waiter
Greatest achievement: "Living."
1980 Alejandro Gutierrez, College student
Greatest achievement: "Placing first in the coed category of the '98 ocean-to-ocean Panama Canal Cayuco Race."
1979 Suresh Madhavan, Premed student
Greatest achievement: "Because my mom is single, I basically raised myself alone."
1978 Aviance Urrutia, Salesman
Best day: "I remember having a blast at Twilo nightclub on February 13, 1993. Extreme excitement."
1977 Wally Szczerbiak, Professional basketball player
Greatest achievement: "Being drafted number six to play in the NBA for Minnesota."
1976 Heath Silvercloud, College student
Greatest achievement: "With all the distractions and perils of life, remaining true to myself and staying as real as I can."
1975 Robert Viera Gay, Graphic artist
Best day: "I met my soul mate. There was no physical attraction involved, just pure innocence and discovery."
1974 William E. Jenkins II, College student
Greatest achievement: "Writing poetry books."
1973 Omar Epps, Actor
Best day: "The birth of my daughter, Aiyanna."
1972 Daniel Lee Burval, College student
Greatest achievement: "I have spontaneous, unconditional love for whatever I may know."
1971 Adam C. Goldfeder, Kindergarten teacher
Greatest achievement: "Teaching kids how to read."
1970 Joel Jaramillo, Performance artist
Greatest achievement: "The ability to relate and express revolutionary ideas."
1969 Ice Cube, Entertainer
Best day: "I was born, June 16, 1969."
1968 "Bo" Jaxon, Radio disc jockey
Greatest achievement: "While on the air, I talked a woman out of committing suicide. I saved her life by just being a good listener."
1967 Thomas Keller, Police officer
Greatest achievement: "After completing five years of military service, I became a police officer."
1966 Ray Ortega, Lighting technician
Best day: "Spending the night dancing at the Avalon Ballroom on Catalina Island, June 4, 1999."
1965 Scott Ashmanski, Entertainer
Greatest achievement: "Letting my mother know that she may have buried three sons but she gained one."
1964 Eddie Gaines, Coca-Cola truck driver
Greatest achievement: "Being a good father to my son."
1963 Keith J. Smith, Special-education teacher
Greatest achievement: "Receiving my college degree."
1962 Jon Bon Jovi, Musician, actor
Greatest achievement: "Eighty million records sold, seven motion pictures, and counting!"
1961 Carl Lewis, Athlete
Greatest achievement: "I stayed in my sport for eighteen years and kept my commitment to make it better."
1960 Alex Valentin, Customer-service representative
Greatest achievement: "An award for best reproduction of a masterpiece at a chalk-painting festival."
1959 Steven Yuen, Letter carrier
Best day: "The day my son was born, April 9, 1980."
1958 Chris Ducharme, Graphic artist, writer
Greatest achievement: "Flying a hang glider a hundred miles into Nevada and landing within a hundred feet of Janie's ranch."
1957 Lawrence Bender, Film producer
Best day: "Winning the Palme d'Or for Pulp Fiction at the Cannes Film Festival."
1956 Sugar Ray Leonard, Boxing manager, motivational speaker
Greatest achievement: "Defeating Marvelous Marvin Hagler, April 6, 1987."
1955 Hector A. T. Gutierrez, Welder
Best day: "I found God in 1997, and now I'm a very happy person."
1954 Terry Anderson, Cafe owner
Greatest achievement: "Learning what money cannot buy."
1953 Ken Barry, No occupation given
Best day: "Someone gave me a bike, February 17, 1997."
1952 Conrad Kupferman, Manager of a therapy placement service, father of Douglas (1986)
Greatest achievement: "Balancing a family and a business."
1951 Lawrence Cirelli, Contractor
Greatest achievement: "I recently published my first novel."
1950 Jay Leno, Comedian
Greatest achievement: "Getting my driver's license."
1949 Jimmy McKeever, Recording engineer
Greatest achievement: "Surviving the sixties."
1948 Roy Spence, Advertising executive
Greatest achievement: "Embracing the idea that true creativity comes from having no fear."
1947 Henry Irby, Street vendor
Greatest achievement: "Being in the Army."
1946 Tommy Lee Jones, Actor, rancher
Greatest achievement: "Peace of mind."
1945 Stanley Crouch, Writer
Best day: "I didn't make any mistakes."
1944 Peter Fernandez, Hotel waiter
Greatest achievement: "I came to know a lot of people, and enjoying their company always kept me very well, alive, and happy."
1943 Casey Hoffman, Entrepreneur
Best day: "At my son's wedding reception, I saw my three adult sons standing tall, arm in arm, loving life."
1942 Rockwell Harwood, President of a multimedia design company
Greatest achievement: "Founding my own business and working with my wife and son."
1941 Robert Campbell, Federal investigator
Greatest achievement: "Having enjoyed three successful careers and still raising a family."
1940 Aboubakr Talkhan, Architect
Greatest achievement: "Being the 1960--1965 kick-boxing world champion."
1939 Herman Franssen, Consultant
Best day: "I was snowed in on my wedding day, October 31, 1969. To get to the church on time, I had to shovel snow for an hour."
1938 Bob Boreman, Artist
Greatest achievement: "Being self-supporting."
1937 George Carlin, Comedian
Best day: "The day at Camp Notre Dame when I spotted my first pubic hair (my own), summer 1949."
1936 Richard B. Sesma, Retired flood-control specialist
Best day: "Doing a film with Jeff Bridges, summer 1994."
1935 Raymond Reyes, Percussionist
Best day: "I made love to the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
1934 Emil Wildman, Retired chemistry professor
Best day: "The day I came to this country in 1940. I was one of the last people to come through Ellis Island."
1933 Arnold D. Goldstein, Real estate broker
Greatest achievement: "My nine-year-old son."
1932 Robert Coover, Novelist
Greatest achievement: "Learning to read."
1931 Harold Shrager, Pianist
Best day: "The end of the war against the Nazis."
1930 James Chevalier, Retired maintenance man
Best day: "My happy retirement from janitorial service."
1929 Ahmad Suleimani, Retired petroleum engineer
Greatest achievement: "All my desires came true."
1928 Thomas M. Kenney, Retired insurance inspector
Best day: "My Army discharge, November 7, 1952."
1927 David N. Dinkins, Professor of public affairs
Greatest achievement: "Becoming the 106th mayor of the city of New York."
1926 Maurice Perlor, Restaurant-supply salesman
Greatest achievement: "I just got over lymphoma and am in good health after six chemos."
1925 Merv Griffin, Entrepreneur
Greatest achievement: "Creating the two most successful shows in the history of TV, Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!"
1924 Don Knotts, Actor
Greatest achievement: "Barney Fife."
1923 Nicolas Pappas, Retired hotel manager
Greatest achievement: "Having my children."
1922 Jerry Weingart, Former owner of a coffee business
Greatest achievement: "Living to this age."
1921 Hiroshi D. Ohori, Former president of a manufacturing corporation
Best day: "The war ended and I married Yoshie Hashimoto while on a seventy-two-hour pass."
1920 Rishi Hrishikesan, Retired chemical engineer
Greatest achievement: "Inventions and my career."
1919 Ralph G. Baca, Retired Air Force chief
Greatest achievement: "I served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, and I'm able to talk about it."
1918 Jack Gleason, Retired film editor
Greatest achievement: "I played trombone in the Marine Corps Band."
1917 Dexter R. Barrett, Retired airline executive
Greatest achievement: "After chasing the Germans back to Berlin, I was only the second man in my platoon to be wounded."
1916 Bob Beck, Retired grocery-truck driver and vice-president of a federal savings and loan
Greatest achievement: "Meeting my present girlfriend."
1915 Earl Hansen, Former owner of a manufacturing plant
Greatest achievement: "Graduating from the Merchant Marine Academy."
1914 Norman Williamson Jr., Retired entrepreneur
Greatest achievement: "I wrote the family biography of my mother's father, W. R. Kellogg, who invented cornflakes."
1913 James R. Johnson, Retired orthodontist
Greatest achievement: "In 1961, I completed the hunting Grand Slam of trophy specimens of the four North American sheep."
1912 Frank Henry Bartol, Retired carpenter and general contractor
Greatest achievement: "I raised three healthy boys and built over a thousand homes."
1911 Phillip Lowe, Retired manufacturer of ladies' dresses
Best day: "I got married on New Year's Day 1968."
1910 Frank Weltman, Former restaurant owner
Best day: "When the Allied flag was raised over the Reichstag and Hitler died like a dirty dog alongside that very building."
1909 Maurice Zimring, Writer
Greatest achievement: "Writing Creature from the Black Lagoon."
1908 George Sinclair, Former owner of a sporting-goods store
Best day: "My partnership dissolved and I became the sole owner of the Rod, Gun & Hobby Shop."
1907 Leon Giaccone, Retired health inspector
Greatest achievement: "Putting my two daughters through college and seeing them both working for IBM."
1906 Jack Blum, Retired furrier
Greatest achievement: "I was married for sixty-five years."
1905 Eploy Craig Boardman, Retired clinical psychologist
Greatest achievement: "With the assistance of my wife, I picked up my education, which was broken by the Great Depression."
1904 William B. Temple, Retired director of an irrigation company
Greatest achievement: "Building a water-treatment plant, which was named after me."
1903 Everett Lundy, Retired sales manager
Greatest achievement: Plays nine holes of golf every Thursday at 8:00 A.M.
1902 Ludwig L. Kaftan, Retired general surgeon
Greatest achievement: "Writing the bylaws, with two other doctors, of the Daniel Freeman Hospital in Inglewood, California."
1901 Karl K. Kintner, Retired airplane mechanic
Greatest achievement: "Living as long as I have."
1900 Gus Beckman, Retired coal miner
Greatest achievement: "Working as a coal miner and a factory worker."
1899 Joseph Napolitano, Retired individual investor
Greatest achievement: "Changing California's driving requirements. Now it's based on testing instead of age."
