Silver Book Fact
Life expectancy trends in 20th century
During the twentieth century, life expectancy at birth increased from 48 to 74 years for men, and from 51 to almost 80 years for women.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, 2004: With chartbook on trends in the health of Americans. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2004. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus04.pdf