Its a great day for anybody to turn 101 years old – just think of all the people those of this age have met and all the historical events they’ve lived through.
For esteemed actor, producer and director, Kirk Douglas, this day is particularly wonderful.
He has of course been an integral part in film culture and has lived to see himself become a legend as one of the very last people still alive from the Golden Age of Hollywood.
”@dy1andKirk has starred in many of the classic films of the 20th century, including The Bad and the Beautiful and Spartacus and it’s clear his grandkids are super proud of their talented Grandpa, who has acted with everyone from Doris Day to Laurence Olivier.
Kirk’s grandson Dylan – the child of Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones – created a sweet Instagram post as a tribute, showing him giving his beloved Grandpa a kiss on the cheek, with the elderly gent looking very well for his age.
Dylan gave the moving picture the following caption:
Happy birthday 101 years and still sexy love you with all my heart Pappy.
Dylan’s followers loved the picture – which really shows the close and affectionate bond between the pair – and soon began offering their own happy returns for the silver screen icon.
One delighted person commented:
Such LOVE!!!! What a blessing Kirk is to your family and so many many countless others! HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIRK!!!!!!!!!
Another said:
Give all the love you can, offer him all the kisses of the world.
dy1and/Instagram
dy1and/InstagramThis isn’t the first time Dylan has given a birthday shout out to his Pappy.
Last year, on his 100th birthday, Dylan posted an incredible video of Kirk – decked out in a trendy Adidas tracksuit – and showing off some serious dance moves.
Dylan captioned the video, ‘Happy 100th Pappy love you with all my heart (I swear he’s not crazy)’.
Even at over a century old, Kirk still looks full of fun and energy and it’s easy to see why his family see him as such an inspiration.
As an interesting side note, cool granddad Kirk is thought to be the oldest blogger in the world, with his blog posts being hosted by The Huffington Post since 2012.
His blogs are an interesting source of wisdom for anyone looking for a bit of guidance from somebody who’s lived a very long and varied life.
Back in 2016, he wrote movingly about the experiences of his immigrant parents arriving in New York from Russia, in a blog post entitled The Road Ahead:
What they did not realise until after they arrived was that those beautiful words carved into the Statute of Liberty in New York Harbor: ‘Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free,’ did not apply equally to all new Americans.
Russians, Poles, Italians, Irish and, particularly Catholics and Jews, felt the stigma of being treated as aliens, as foreigners who would never become ‘real Americans’.
“I think half the success in life comes from first trying to find out what you really want to do. And then going ahead and doing it.” Happy 101st birthday, Kirk Douglas! pic.twitter.com/cy83gs7VJZ
— Tribeca (@Tribeca) December 9, 2017
Kirk Douglas (who turns 101 today) hugs his son Michael in 1949 pic.twitter.com/2YZ11STuYH
— Sport & Casino History (@CDCHistory) December 9, 2017
Happy 101st Birthday to the last great leading man of the Golden Age of Hollywood, the legendary, Kirk Douglas! Here's to many happy and healthy years to come! All the best, sir! Bravo! pic.twitter.com/igbOfQ7icv
— Angela Lansbury News (@_AngelaLansbury) December 9, 2017
Happy Birthday Kirk!
And let’s all make sure to give our grandparents plenty of love and attention on their birthdays!
Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.