On 22 April 2007, at the age of 73 years 357 days, Ramon Blanco (Spain) reached the tip of the Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia, making him the oldest person to climb the highest peaks on each of the seven continents. The project took Ramon 31 years 114 days to complete.
The oldest man to climb Mt Everest is Yuichiro Miura (Japan, b. 12 October 1932), who reached the summit on 23 May 2013 at the age of 80 years 223 days. This is the third time that he has held this record: he previously reached the highest point on Earth as the world’s oldest summiteer in 2003 and again at 2008. He was helicoptered off the mountain from Base 2
Minoru Saito (Japan) was 71 when he completed a non-stop solo circumnavigation of the world in his 15 m (50 ft) yacht Shuten-doji II on 6 June 2005, becoming the oldest person to sail around the world. His 233-day journey, which started and finished near the Japanese port of Misaki,covered around 50,000 km (27,000 nautical miles).
The oldest female row any ocean solo is Diana Hoff (UK, b. 1 May 1944), who rowed the Atlantic East to West solo, in Star Atlantic II between 13 September 1999 – 5 January 2000, aged 55 years 152 days at the start.
Suzanne Pinto (USA, b. 4 March 1953) was 57 years 333 days old when she helped row the £80,000 ($126,800) 14-man vessel Britannia III across the Atlantic east to west from Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands to Barbados in the West Indies in 42 days 17 hr 54 min between 31 January and 15 March 2011.
Swiss/Canadian oarsman Thomas Butscher (b. 11 June 1944) was 67 years 210 days old when he joined the 16-man crew of the catamaran Big Blue and successfully rowed the Atlantic Ocean east to west from Tarfaya in Morocco to Barbados in the West Indies in 47 days 18 hr between 15 January and 4 March 2011.
Australian artist, Smoky Dawson (b. 19 March 1913), recorded a new album of original songs, ‘Homestead Of My Dreams’, at the age of 92 years 156 days when the album was released on 22 August 2005. Smoky began recording in 1941. Smoky’s birth name was: Herbert Henry Dawson. Although some sources believe he was born in 1914, the above date is what we believe to be correct.
Morton Cohn (USA) is the oldest person to receive a university varsity letter at 78 years 8 days on 28 July 2001. He received the accolade 52 years after excelling at golf for the University of Michigan. Varsity letters are awarded in the US to those who make an outstanding contribution to school life.
Bart Bratko (USA; b. 22 April 1921) qualified as a flight instructor at age 81 years and 176 days at Lawrence Municipal Airport, Massachusetts, USA, on 15 October 2002. He obtained his pilot’s licence in 1995. Bratko owns a Beechcraft F33A Bonanza and a 1964 HA200A Casa Saeta Twin Jet Spanish Trainer, which he flies daily. During the Second World War, he was a Flight Control Officer, attached to the 445th Heavy Bombardment Group, 8th Air Force, USAAF, stationed in Norwich, England.
The oldest player in NHL history is Gordie Howe (Canada, b. 31 March 1928) who was 52 years old when he retired in 1980. The second-oldest player to appear in an NHL game is the currently active Detroit Red Wings (USA) defenseman Chris Chelios (USA, b. 24 January 1962, USA) who turned 46 years old during the 2007-08 season.