It’s easy to assume that you understand the passing of time perfectly, until you realize that babies born in 2007 can now vote, buy cigarettes and enlist in the army. Oh yeah, and those 18-year-olds are the same age as the iPhone. Meanwhile, the film Titanic came out 28 years ago, and President Donald Trump’s first term began over 8 years ago.
You might begin to feel extremely old when you stop and get a different perspective on just how quickly time is passing. And if you’re interested in hearing a bunch of facts that will severely warp your perception of time, you’re in for a treat, pandas. We took a trip to the Barbara Walters 4 Scale subreddit, which features creative yet factual timeline comparisons, and gathered some of their trippiest posts below. From information that will blow your mind to facts that will make you want to slow down time, we hope you enjoy reading through this list. And be sure to upvote the info that you’ll definitely be sharing with your friends!
#1 Chubby Checker, Whose First Concert Was Held In The 1950’s, Is Still Touring In 2025
#2 Obama Is The Only Us President To Serve Under The Same Version Of The Flag He Was Born Under
The current 50-star US flag was adopted on July 4th, 1960 to commemorate the admission of Hawaii to the Union. Barack Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4th, 1961 and served as President from 2009 to 2017 under the same 50-star flag.
#3 Obama Is The Only Living Us President Under 78 Years Old (He’s 63)
Technically, time is always moving at the same speed, but it certainly doesn’t always feel like that. For a kid, time seems to move incredibly slowly, as one year is a much larger portion of their entire life. But once you hit 30, it feels like the years fly by in just a few minutes. But an hour can feel like a lifetime if you’re in extreme pain or completely a challenging task. Meanwhile, an evening out with your best friends can feel like it passed by in the blink of an eye.
One community that understands perfectly how confusing the passing of time can be is the Barbara Walters 4 Scale subreddit. This group has been around since 2019 and amassed an impressive 101K members who are eager to share creative and bizarre timeline comparisons. Originally, it seems as though members would make references to 1929, the year Barbara Walters was born, or how old she was at a specific point in history. But today, members have come up with infinite ways to compare different points in history and make you question your own perception of time!
#4 The First Black Women To Study In An All White School Is Still Alive And Has An Insta Account
#5 Jimmy Carter Voted For Both Harry Truman And Kamala Harris
And probably voted for Roosevelt in 1944, but there’s no source on that.
#6 5/6 Of The Simpsons Main Cast Members Have Been Doing Their Simpsons Voices For Over Half Of Their Lives
Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, and Yeardley Smith have been doing their Simpsons voices since 1987 on The Tracey Ullman Show (38 years). This is more than half of each of their current ages (67, 74, 67, and 61, respectively). Hank Azaria has been doing his voices since the show’s premiere in 1989 (36 years). This is more than half of his current age (61). The only exception is Harry Shearer, who has been doing his voices for 36 years and is currently 81.
According to Earth.com, it’s true that our perception of time really does change as we age. For example, when we have new experiences, it seems to move much slower. We vividly remember things that we experience for the first time, but as they become routine and mundane, they all start to blur together. This is part of the reason why first impressions are so important, because we tend to remember them!
Earth.com also explains that when our brains encounter new things, flags are raised that tell us to remember that moment. It’s also quite rare for most adults to have new, novel experiences. So they tend to stand out when every other day is full of the same commute, sitting in the same office and doing the same workouts on repeat.
#7 Anne Frank, Freddie Mercury, And Mac Miller Were Never Alive At The Same Time, But D**k Van D**e Has Lived Through Their Entire Lives. Also, He’s Still Alive As Of Today
#8 Motörhead In Front Of The Twin Towers (1981). Nothing In This Photo Exists Anymore
Eddie Clark (left) died on Jan 10, 2018. Lemmy (middle) died on Dec 28, 2015. Phil Taylor (right) died on Nov 12, 2015. And of course, the Twin Towers were destroyed on Sep 11, 2001. Over the course of a little over 16 years, everything in this photo ceased to exist.
#9 If Anne Frank Survived The H*******t And Lived As Long As Her Father, She Would’ve Died In 2020
Meanwhile, the older we get, the less alert we tend to be, which can make the entire day feel like it moves faster. If we’re not noticing as many things, and our eyes and brains are literally picking up on less than they did when we were young, it’s easy for time to just start slipping away. And, of course, when you’re young and full of energy, you’re likely going out more often, participating in more activities and spending more hours awake anyway.
#10 The Oldest American Woman (And Oldest American Overall) Wasn’t Able To Vote Until She Was 40
#11 In 2018, At Age 93, Jimmy Carter Appeared On The Late Show On Cbs. This Is Despite Him Being Older Than Cbs Itself
CBS as an organisation was founded in September 1927. Jimmy Carter was born in October 1924.
#12 Interesting Fact
However, if you want to start slowing down how you perceive time, Earth.com notes that there is a way: divert from your routine. Plan at least one activity each week that you won’t be able to do on autopilot, and while you’re engaging in it, be sure to pay close attention to what you’re doing. Notice how all of your senses are engaged, and try to stay fully present the entire time. Try to increase your curiosity in your everyday life, and allow yourself to get bored from time to time.
#13 Mary Poppins Came Out Over 60 Years Ago, And 3/4 Actors In This Photo Are Still Alive
#14 Liz Truss Was Prime Minister Of The UK For 49 Days But Had More Monarchs Than The 14 Previous Pms
#15 Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Was Born 11 Days After South Park First Aired
How we perceive time depends on many factors, but there are also some facts that are extremely likely to warp how you see the passing of time. Reader’s Digest has shared a list of these facts, first pointing out that the tenth president of the United States had a living grandchild until earlier this year. John Tyler became president in 1841, and he had a son in 1853, Lyon Gardiner Tyler. Then Lyon had children later on in life, in 1924 and 1928. And one of the president’s grandsons, Harrison Tyler, passed away on May 25, 2025.
#16 Tupac’s Entire Life Took Place Within The Life Of Creme Puff, The Oldest Cat Ever
#17 My (Biological) Father Was Born During Wwii. I Just Graduated H**h School Today
I know this might be much less interesting now that Barron Trump exists, but I figured I’d post anyway 🙂
Here’s a list of some more facts about my dad, born in 1943.
FDR was president during his birth
He could have legally had his first beer in a whites only bar
He’s older than Israel by 5 years
He’s older than the microwave by 2 years
He’s 4 years older than the CIA
He saw the moon landing as a balding student in medical school
#18 When This Color Photo Was Taken In 1912, The World Population Was Around 1.87 Billion People, As Of Today, 43 Of Those People Are Still Alive
Another fact that might mess with your perception of time is when France had their last criminal execution by guillotine. You might think that this happened easily over a century ago, but it actually took place the same year that Star Wars was released: 1977. Since then, however, France has decided to outlaw the guillotine, so we don’t have to worry about it ever being used again!
#19 If Mlk Had The Same Lifespan As His Sister He Would Die This Week On Thursday May 29, 2025
Martin Luther King was only 39 when he passed away, his elder sister, Christine King, lived to be 95 and passed in 2023. If Martin Luther King Jr had the same lifespan as his sister he would still be alive, and would pass away later this week.
#20 The Dallas Cowboys Have Not Defeated The Denver Broncos Since Homer Simpson Fictitiously Became Their Owner On November 3, 1996
#21 Lincoln And Kennedy Were Assassinated 98 Years Apart, Meaning That There Were People That Lived Through All Four Presidential Assassinations
The Best Example I Could Find Is Mary Kelly (1851-1964) Who Was 13 For Lincoln’s, 30 For Garfield’s, 50 For Mckinley’s And 112 For Kennedy’s
If you’re a big fan of flying in airplanes, it might feel like they’ve been around forever. But in reality, they’re still a relatively new invention! In fact, in 1903, the New York Times predicted that humans wouldn’t be able to fly for at least a million years. Well, later that year, the Wright Brothers proved them wrong! And now, over 100,000 commercial flights operate every single day.
#22 The Age Gap Between Al Pacino And His Youngest Son Is Older Than Joe Biden
#23 The Last Person From The 1800s Died Less Than A Decade Ago
#24 Last Confederate Widow Lived Long Enough To See The First Black Major Party Presidential Nominee (Obama)
Maudie Hopkins (1914-2008) was the last living widow of a confederate American civil war soldier. She died August 17, 2008 in her home state of Arkansas, being able to witness now-President Obama’s rise to the top of the Democratic ticket, and his likely ascension to the White House, but dying just before his election as the first black president.
Is this list breaking your brain, pandas? We hope you enjoy making your way through these fascinating timeline comparisons, and if you know of any more, feel free to share them in the comments below! Keep upvoting the facts that make you question your perception of time, and if you’d like to check out even more information like this, you can find another We list featuring the same online community right here!
#25 In Just 4 Years, The Original World Trade Center Will Have Been Gone For Longer Than It Existed (1973-2001)
#26 D**k Van D**e, Who Made A Speech With Mlk As A Spectator In 1964, Lived To Endorse Kamala Harris In 2024
#27 Joe Biden Was Born Closer To Lincoln’s Presidency Than To His Own
I mentioned this in a comment but thought it deserved its own post. I discovered this from a TikTok video a while back, but Lincoln’s presidency ended with his death from assassination on April 15, 1865. Biden was born on November 20, 1942, and inaugurated on January 20, 2021. The gap between Lincoln’s death and Biden’s birth is roughly 77.6 years. The time between Biden’s birth and being sworn in as president is 78.2 years.
#28 William Howard Taft Was The Oldest Living U.S. President When Jimmy Carter Was Born. He Was 67
#29 Today, This 92-Year Old Man Was Practically Sentenced To Life In Prison For K*****g A Woman Born In 1892
#30 Grandson Of John Tyler (President In 1841) Dies In 2025
#31 Maxwell Frost Is Currently The Youngest Us Representative At 28 Years Old
He’s younger than Zendaya, Hailey Bieber, David Dobrik and Lana Rhodes. And was born in the same year as Kylie Jenner, Bella Poarch, and the same day as Jake Paul.
#32 Dan Quayle Was Elected Vice President Of The United States In 1988. 46 Years Later, He Is Still Younger Than Both The Outgoing And Incoming President
#33 The Queen’s First Prime Minister Was Winston Churchill, Born In 1874. And Her Last Prime Minister Was Liz Truss, Born In 1975
#34 North West And Prince George Are The Same Age (12)
#35 Principal Skinner Would Now Have Fought In Iraq Instead Of Vietnam
#36 The Girl Who Gave Birth At Age 5 Is Still Alive And Well
#37 If Aoc Is Elected President In 2028, She Will Be The 2nd Person To Ascend Directly From The House Of Representatives To The Presidency. The 1st Is James Garfield, Elected In 1880
#38 Hugh Mungo Grant Is Older Than The Word “Humongous”
#39 Jimmy Carter Has Lived Through 41% Of The Entire Independent History Of The United States
#40 Only 13 Months Separate The Death Of The Last Former S***e And The Birth Of George Floyd
Peter Mills, the last surviving man in the U.S. verified as having been born into legal slavery, died in September of 1972. George Floyd was born in October of 1973, almost 13 months later.
#41 Jimmy Carter Is The First President In American History To Live To See Someone Who Was Born After Their Presidency Become (Vice) President-Elect
This would be like if Dwight Eisenhower lived to see Barack Obama get elected
#42 John Mccain’s Mom Outlived Him By 2 Years
#43 Two Game Of Thrones Actors Had Fathers Born In The 1870s
#44 Joe Biden Is The Only President In American History From The Silent Generation
#45 Vermont Senator Pat Leahy, Who Left Office In 2023, Served For So Long That His Predecessor, George Aiken, Was Born In The 1800s
#46 D**k Van D**e, Who’s Still Alive, Had Grey Hair 54 Years Ago
#47 In “Without Me” Eminem Made Fun Of Moby For Being Old. Eminem Is Now 16 Years Older Than Moby Was Then
#48 There Are Adults Who Were Born After The Release Of Youtube’s First Video
#49 The Son Of Sam Has Been In Jail Since 1978. This Is Like Someone Being In Jail From 2025-2072 Today
#50 Steve Jobs Father Is Still Alive
#51 Chuck Grassley Is Older Than Bugs Bunny
#52 As Of Today, Thursday, June 26, There’s No Living Person Left In This Photograph…
#53 If You Were 5 Years Old When Caesar Was K****d, You’d Be 82 When Jesus Was Crucified
#54 At The End Of Donald Trump’s 2nd Term He Will Be 82. If Jfk Lived And Instead Served As President At That Same Age, He Would Leave Office In 1999
#55 In 1997 The President Was Born In 1946. In 2007 The President Was Born In 1946. In 2017 The President Was Born In 1946. And In 2027 The President Will Have Been Born In 1946
#56 When Muhammad Was Born, Christianity Had It’s 61st Pope
#57 This Cgi Animation Was Made Closer To Wwii Than It Was To Today
#58 The Radio Operator At Auschwitz Is Still Alive
#59 Kurt Cobain’s Dad Is Alive And Well
There isn’t a lot of information about him online. Like, he has barely any information present, but unlike Kurt’s mom he doesn’t have any online obituaries and he’s mentioned in a present tense whenever talked about online.
#60 29th President Warren G. Harding Has A Living Grandson
#61 Joe Biden Will Be 82 When His Term Ends. That Would Be Like Jimmy Carter’s Term Ending In 2006
#62 J.d. Vance Is 108 Years Younger Than Herbert Hoover, Who Could Have Met An 18 Year Old Donald Trump
#63 Bernie Sanders Was Already Old Enough To Run For President In 1976
#64 Mitch Mcconnel (Age 21 In 1963) Could Have Had His First Legal Beer In A “Whites Only” Bar
#65 American Psycho, Released In 2000, Was Set In 1987. This Would Be Like A 2025 Movie Setting Itself In 2012
#66 Oog Could Have Lived Long Enough To See Ugg Use A Spear
#67 The Earliest Biden Voters Were Born In 1860s, While The Last Biden Voter Would Be Born In Nov 2002.. Meaning He Had Voters From The Civil War To Post 9/11
Since he ran for the Senate in 1972, it’s very likely he had voters of 100+ years old born in the 1860s… And his last voter for 2020 Presidential election would be eligible born on 3rd Nov 2002..
These voters would coexist with people likely from the 1750s to 2120s
#68 Donald Trump Entered Politics Exactly 10 Years Ago Today. His “Golden Escalator” Announcement Was On June 16th, 2015
#69 Every Living Us President Except Obama Could Have Attended H**h School Together In 1960
#70 Connie Francis, Whose 1962 Song “Pretty Little Baby”, Made Its Billboard Chart Debut In 2025, Has Died
#71 Joe Biden Became President At 78 Years Old. If Someone Born Today Were Sworn In At 78 Years Old, They Would Become President In The Year 2102
#72 Joe Biden’s Great Grandson Will Turn 82, The Current Age Of Joe Biden, In 2107
#73 Biden Had Voters Born Inbetween The 1880s And 2002 If You Include His Senate Races
#74 The Detroit Pistons Did Not Win A Single Playoff Game Under The Papacy Of Pope Francis. They Won Their First In 17 Years, 21 Hours After His Death
#75 Jimmy Carter Personally Witnessed Rosalynn Carter’s Birth And Death
#76 Joe Biden Served In Congress With A Man Born In 1897, And Left Office As President With A Congressman Born In 1997
#77 Tom Cruise Is Now As Old As Fdr During His Final Year
#78 Emmanuel Macron Could’ve Married Jeanne Calment
#79 D**k Van D**e Could Have Worked In The Mines As A 9 Year Old And Watched The Minecraft Movie
#80 The Babies On The First Season Of MTV’s “16 And Pregnant” Are Now Old Enough To Be 16 And Pregnant Themselves
#81 The Last Democratic President To Die Was Lyndon B. Johnson
#82 If Obama Had Lived To Be The Exact Age As Fdr, He Would’ve Died Last Month
#83 Joe Biden Turns 83 This Year. When He Was Born, People Born In 1859 Were Turning 83
#84 Joe Biden Has Met Every President Since Gerald Ford
Joe Biden has met every president since Gerald Ford
#85 Everyone Portrayed In This 2011 Erb Video Is Now Dead
Uploaded on February 2, 2011, it featured Hulk Hogan, later joined by Macho Man Randy Savage, battling Kim Jong-il. Macho Man and Kim both died within a year of the video being uploaded, with Macho Man shockingly dying on May 20 and Kim on December 17. Hulk Hogan survived up until today, 14 years later (Rest in Peace).
(For the record, Nice Peter and EpicLLOYD are both still alive)
#86 Sabrina Carpenter Has Had A Longer Music Career Than The Beatles
#87 If Chuck Grassley Wins Another Term In The Senate, Which He’s Planning On, He’ll Be 101 Years Old Upon Leaving
#88 When Boogie2988 Started His Channel, His Girlfriend Was 3
#89 As Of April 30, 2025, There Is No Living Person Older Than Lbj
