Is longevity encoded in our genes?

In historical times, the average age at which people died was significantly lower than today. This was true for most people. However, records also tell us about people who lived to a very old age. In the Vachuška family, such individuals can be found in several successive generations.

Petr Vachuška, his son Jan, and Jan's daughters Kateřina and Anna enjoyed very long lives. Petr was born at the beginning of the 18th century and lived to the incredible age of 74. Jan came close to him, living to the age of 72. If genes play a role in longevity, then his children had good prospects of also reaching a very old age. His two daughters, Kateřina and Anna, did indeed live to a ripe old age. Kateřina died at the age of 61 and Anna at the age of 84. Unfortunately, the ages of Petr and Jan's wives are unknown.

Petr must have been very tough, as his great-grandson Jan outlived him, dying at the age of 88 in a more advanced era, a century later. Incidentally, Jan, Petr's great-grandson, lived to the highest age of all the known members of the Vachuška family.

Selected members of the Vachuška family who lived to a ripe old age in several successive generations, including those who lived to a ripe old age

Václav Vachuška and Johanna, born Rybáková, also lived to a relatively old age. Václav died at the age of 54 and Johanna at 66. Their two sons, Vojtěch and Matěj, also had relatively long lives, passing away at the ages of 65 and 62. It is not known how long Vojtěch's wife lived, but their two daughters also died at an advanced age, Marie at 65 and Josefa at 85. Matěj and Marie's three children also enjoyed long lives. Josef died at the age of 76, Marie at 57, and František at the very advanced age of 81.

And how old did your ancestors live to be?