A reader writes:
George Burns: did he make it to 100? I can’t believe his name is not listed. Thanks.
Too true: Surprising that we don’t have Burns and Gracie Allen both. We’ve added them to our to-do list for the coming year.
Yes, George Burns was exactly 100 when he died in 1996. He just barely made it: He was born on January 20th of 1896, and died on March 9th in 1996. So he got there with 49 days to spare. (1996 was a leap year.)
Here’s an obituary from CNN, one of the few news sites with a robust web presence in 1996. The New York Times has a longer Burns obit.