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Notable Achievements at Age 50
Lost Texas gubernatorial election to Greg Abbott
Defeated by incumbent Governor Greg Abbott in the general election; Abbott 4,437,099 votes (54.8%), O'Rourke 3,553,656 votes (43.9%).
Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (announcement)
Jointly awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with John Gurdon "for the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent."
Took the constitutional and judicial oaths; Assumed office as Associate Justice
Sworn in at the White House on August 7, 2010; administered oaths by Chief Justice John Roberts.
Became the fourth woman and eighth Jewish justice on the Supreme Court
Historic milestone: fourth woman ever to serve as a Supreme Court Justice.
Talking Heads inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Talking Heads were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002; the band reunited at the ceremony to play four tracks.
Elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences
Elected to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of his prion research.
ACM A. M. Turing Award (1984)
Received the ACM Turing Award for 'developing a sequence of innovative computer languages' (Euler, Algol‑W, Pascal, Modula...).
Named virus LAV (lymphadenopathy-associated virus)
The new retrovirus isolated by his group was named LAV; later standardized to HIV by the community.
Signatory of Israeli Declaration of Independence
Signed the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel on 14 May 1948.
Founded the Alpha Suffrage Club (Chicago)
Founded what may have been the first Black women's suffrage club to organize for Black women's voting rights and political representation.
Forbes net worth estimate: US$2.1 billion
Forbes reported Hamdi Ulukaya's net worth as approximately US$2.1 billion (October 2022).
Performed at Super Bowl LVI halftime show
Performed alongside Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar at the Super Bowl LVI halftime show.
Invoked the Emergencies Act during Freedom Convoy protests
In response to weeks-long Ottawa occupation and blockades, Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act to restore order (Feb 2022).
Awarded H.M. The King's Medal
Received H. M. The King's Medal (12th size gold, silver-gilt) in recognition of contributions.
Suspended 2020 presidential campaign
Ended presidential bid on Jan 13, 2020 after failing to gain traction and qualify for debates.
Led Sy Syms rapid pivot to fully online amid COVID-19
In his second semester as dean, led the rapid transition of Sy Syms to fully online instruction in 9 days after the coronavirus outbreak.
Separated from first wife Karen Herskovitz
Public report of separation from wife Karen Ackman; the couple had three children and later divorced.
Herbalife settled with FTC ($200M) — regulatory outcome of long campaign
Herbalife agreed to pay $200 million and restructure certain U.S. operations to resolve FTC charges; Ackman's campaign had spurred regulators' interest.
Publicly supported same-sex marriage
Became the first sitting U.S. president to publicly endorse same-sex marriage.
💡 What this means for you
At age 50, 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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