Why is an age of 120 years or more a data problem?

An age of 120 years or more is a data problem in Family Tree because of the high probability that the age is incorrect. Since the beginning of the 20th Century, only one person has been verified to have lived more than 119 years.

What to do next

Go to the ancestor’s person page in Family Tree and review the historical documents under the Sources tab. Look specifically for birth and death records and see if the dates were transcribed correctly.

Here’s a possible way of doing that:

1. Sign in to FamilySearch.org, then go to the ancestor’s person page in Family Tree.
2. Click the Sources tab.
3. Find a historical record that would likely include a birth or death record, and click on it.
4. In the source details, try to view a digital image of the record. If the image is available, you will have at least two options for accessing it:
   1. Click the link under Web Page (Link to the Record).
   2. Scroll down through the details until you see a small thumbnail image of the record, and click the button labeled View Original Record.
5. Compare the dates in the record with the dates in the transcription.
6. Use the editing options to correct any mistakes you find in the transcription.
7. Be sure to save your edits.

If you don’t see a mistake in the transcription, return to Step 3, and investigate a different record or life event.