Death is a subject that nearly every philosopher, playwright and author has touched on at one time or another. For some it is a grim subject. For others it carries a sense of hope and prospects of release from the wheel of suffering that is life.
This afternoon as I reflected on the Covid stats that are continuously bombarding us, it made me wonder how many people are simply dying all the time anyways. That is, earlier this year I became aware that 10,000 baby boomers are turning 65 every day. That is a lot of people. Naturally it made me wonder how many are making an exit from this mortal coil each day.
I asked Google, and guess what? There's a website that has an answer. 5,004 baby boomers will have died when this day is over.
The website, incendar.com, has stats for what percentage of boomers have already died, what percentage are alive, and what year the baby boomer generation will be officially extinct. (2086, if you wish to know.)
Here are a few quotes about death, followed by a link to all the stats for our parents' generation, Gen X and Millennials. But first, a few quotes.
* * * *
~Cicero
* * * *
Life's race well run,
Life's work well done,
Life's crown well won,
Now comes rest.
--Epitaph, President James Garfield
* * * *
"Do not go gentle into that good night."
--Dylan Thomas
* * * *
"Our soul’s perfection is our life’s purpose; any other purpose, keeping death in mind, has no substance."
--Leo Tolstoy
* * * *
OK, here are some stats:
Population Death Clock
1946-1964
26.0878252 %
Total 85,358,000
Alive 63,089,954
Dead 22,268,046
Death every 17.3 Seconds
5,004 Deaths Today
or 1.8 million this year.
Orwell observed that it is the fear of death that keeps many people alive.
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