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Notable Achievements at Age 72
Family — married to Deborah Furlan Taylor; two children
Personal milestone: married to Deborah Furlan Taylor (religion scholar); they have two children and four grandchildren (dates not specified).
Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom
Received the United States' highest civilian honor from President Barack Obama (Nov 22, 2016).
Death — José Medeiros Ferreira
José Manuel de Medeiros Ferreira died in Lisbon on 18 March 2014.
Left U.S. Senate; succeeded by Deb Fischer
Nelson's Senate term ended on January 3, 2013; he was succeeded by Republican Deb Fischer.
Death in London
Died of Hodgkin's disease at University College Hospital, Bloomsbury, London on 25 October 2002; body cremated and ashes scattered in the Bahamas.
Died in Nuenen after long illness
Dijkstra died on 6 August 2002 at his home in Nuenen after a long struggle with cancer. Survived by wife Ria and three children.
Death of Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong died on 9 September 1976; his death precipitated power struggles that Deng ultimately prevailed in.
U.S. Supreme Court orders breakup of Standard Oil (Sherman Act)
In 1911 the Supreme Court finds Standard Oil (New Jersey) in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act and orders divestiture into 34 companies (e.g., Standard of NJ -> Exxon; Standard of CA -> Chevron).
Named one of Time's 100 most influential people
Time magazine listed Laurence D. Fink among the world's 100 most influential people in 2025.
New York Court of Appeals overturns New York convictions; orders retrial
On April 25, 2024, the NY Court of Appeals overturned Weinstein's 2020 New York rape convictions due to procedural errors and ordered a retrial.
Forbes net worth ranking and estimate
Forbes ranked Doerr as the 146th richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of US$11.9 billion (Forbes snapshot as of August 1, 2023).
Recorded last episode of University Challenge (15 Oct 2022)
Recorded his final episode of University Challenge (recording date); episode later aired in 2023.
Historic vote to convict President Trump (first impeachment trial)
Became the lone Senate Republican to vote to convict President Donald Trump on the abuse‑of‑power article in his first impeachment trial (Feb 2020).
Departed Ukraine and stepped down as Chargé d’affaires
Left Ukraine and formally stepped down from his temporary post on January 2, 2020 (vacancy rules would have allowed staying until Jan 8).
Texted Gordon Sondland raising concern about aid conditioning
At 12:47:11 a.m. Taylor texted Sondland: 'I think it's crazy to withhold security assistance for help with a political campaign.' (Sept 9, 2019)
Sondland responded to Taylor's text
At 5:19:35 a.m. Gordon Sondland replied, asserting Taylor was 'incorrect' about the President's intentions and suggesting Taylor call State Dept. officials.
Supreme Court rules proponents lacked standing in Prop 8 (Perry v. Hollingsworth)
U.S. Supreme Court ruled the proponents of Proposition 8 lacked standing, allowing the District Court judgment to stand; same-sex marriage resumed in California June 28, 2013.
Green plaque unveiled at Establishment site
A green plaque honoring the site of The Establishment at 18 Greek Street, Soho, was unveiled by Westminster City Council and the Heritage Foundation on 15 February 2009.
💡 What this means for you
At age 72, 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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