How Old Could He Be?
In 1940, a correspondent proposed the following question:
A man's age at death was one twenty-ninth of the year of his birth. How old was he in 1900?
A man's age at death was one twenty-ninth of the year of his birth. How old was he in 1900?
Hint:
He was 44 years old.
From the question you know the man died between 1900 and 1940. We also know his age at death (x) is one twenty-ninth of the year of his birth (29x). If you add his age at death to the year he was born you get the year he died (30x). Only one year between 1900 and 1940 is divisible by 30, 1920 (the year he died). The year he was born can now be found: 1920 * (29/30) = 1856. So in 1900 he was (1900 - 1856) = 44 years old. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
From the question you know the man died between 1900 and 1940. We also know his age at death (x) is one twenty-ninth of the year of his birth (29x). If you add his age at death to the year he was born you get the year he died (30x). Only one year between 1900 and 1940 is divisible by 30, 1920 (the year he died). The year he was born can now be found: 1920 * (29/30) = 1856. So in 1900 he was (1900 - 1856) = 44 years old. Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES NO
Add Your Riddle Here
Have some tricky riddles of your own? Leave them below for our users to try and solve.