What should I have accomplished by 42?
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Notable Achievements at Age 42
Submitted resignation as Prime Minister
Submitted resignation as Prime Minister; Chris Hipkins sworn in as PM shortly thereafter.
Announced resignation as Labour leader
Announced she would step down as Labour leader and not stand again, saying she 'didn't have enough in the tank.'
Inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame (with Breakfast Club co-hosts)
Charlamagne and his Breakfast Club co-hosts DJ Envy and Angela Yee were inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame (Aug 2020).
Birth of first son, Ashe Olson Meyers
Seth and Alexi welcomed their first son, Ashe Olson Meyers, at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan on March 27, 2016.
Launched Stack Overflow (co-founded with Jeff Atwood)
Co-founded and launched Stack Overflow, a free Q&A community for developers (Sept 2008).
Keynote address at 2004 Democratic National Convention
Delivered widely praised keynote speech in Boston that brought him national prominence.
Gödel Prize (second) for PCP and hardness of approximation work
Co-recipient of a second Gödel Prize in 2001 for work on interactive proofs / PCPs and hardness of approximation.
Birth of son
Her only son was born at Columbia Hospital for Women on 27 March 2000; Amanpour was 41 when she became pregnant and 42 at birth.
Completes OPM (Owner/President Management) program at Harvard
Completed Harvard Business School's OPM Program (OPM 27).
Gianni Versace murdered
Gianni Versace was shot and killed outside Casa Casuarina (Versace Mansion) in Miami; triggered major family/legal succession events.
Inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame
Recognition of his prominence in radio broadcasting.
ACM Software Systems Award (with Kay & Ingalls)
Received the ACM Software Systems Award (1987) along with Alan Kay and Dan Ingalls for development of Smalltalk.
Received ACM A.M. Turing Award
Awarded computing's highest honor for fundamental contributions to programming as an intellectual discipline and structured programming advocacy.
Birth of daughter Rhonda Suzanne (with Diana Ross)
Daughter Rhonda Suzanne born; Gordy's relationship with Diana Ross lasted from 1965 through 1970.
Expulsion from Malaysia; Singapore becomes independent
Tunku Abdul Rahman announced Singapore's separation; on 9 Aug 1965 Singapore became a sovereign republic with Lee as Prime Minister (televised, emotional address).
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
President Kennedy, a personal friend and neighbor, was assassinated in Dallas; a pivotal national event affecting Bradlee personally and professionally.
Milestone: 29 of 32 Supreme Court wins (career statistic)
By mid‑century Marshall had argued 32 civil‑rights cases before the Supreme Court and won 29, establishing national reputation.
IMSA LMP2 class and overall victory at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
Hyett and Dane Cameron drove the No. 99 ORECA LMP2 to class and overall victory at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP, Mosport) on July 13, 2025.
Forbes estimates net worth at US$65.5 billion
Forbes listed Zhang Yiming's estimated net worth at US$65.5 billion (May 2025).
💡 What this means for you
At age 42, you're at a pivotal point where many successful entrepreneurs made their breakthrough. Whether you're building your first company or scaling an existing one, these examples show what's possible with focus and execution.
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