How Genealogy and History Can Determine Your Age - 2011

This fun mathematical post has become sort of a tradition here.

I started it in 2008, updated it for 2009, and then updated it again in 2010.

A close comparison of posts will illustrate what needs to be changed each year, and the comments in 2009 included a mathematical explanation by someone on how this works, for those who are curious.

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This takes less than a minute. Work this out as you read .

Be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out!
(Because, you know, that spoils the fun.)


1. How many Great-Grandparents do you have full name, date of birth, and date of death for?

Secondary spouses don't count. Only (pardon the redundancy) direct ancestors count.

2. Multiply by the number of biological parents you have, regardless of whether or not you have any information on them. (Everyone should have the same answer here. 2.)

3. Add the number next to your paternal grandmother on your ahnentafel table or list. (Once again, everyone should have the same number. 5.)

4. To honor the year the Roman Emperor, Claudius, adopted Nero -- Multiply it by 50

5. To honor the nuptials of King George III and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz - or, if you wish, the birth of Henry Shrapnel, inventor of the shrapnel shell - add 1761.

6. If you haven't had your birthday yet this year, subtract 1.

7. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.

You should have a three digit number

The first digit of this is the number of great grandparents you have all that information on!

The next two numbers are:

YOUR AGE

Don't deny it!

Note: This will not work if you are at least 100 years old. (But, congratulations!)