Uncle Bill turns 93 years old today. 93. Amazing right? The man still lives on his own, drives, makes a great drink and keeps a beautiful garden. Lets put this in perspective.

In 1917, the world was a different place. There was no Google yet. Or Yahoo. Remember, that was before there were DVDs. Heck, even before there was VHS. People were indeed watching movies in the cinema, and not downloading them online. Imagine the packed seats, the laughter, the excitement, the novelty. And all of that without 3D computer effects.

In the year 1917, the time when Uncle Bill arrived on this planet, books were still popularly read on paper, not on digital devices. Trees were felled to get the word out. The number one US bestseller of the time was Mr. Britling Sees It Through by H. G. Wells. Oh, that's many years ago. Have you read that book? Have you heard of it?

In 1917... The Danish West Indies is sold to the United States for $25 million. An anti-prostitution drive in San Francisco attracts huge crowds to public meetings. The United States severs diplomatic relations with Germany. Mata Hari is arrested for spying. The Duma declares a provisional government. Vladimir Lenin arrives in Petrograd.

The 1910s were a decade of change. Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary in Sarajevo was assassinated, and World War I broke out. Many countries, like Mexico, saw a revolution. The last modern empires in Russia, Germany and elsewhere collapsed. The Titanic, deemed unsinkable, strikes an iceberg and sinks. The Panama canal is completed.

The movie that was all the rage when Uncle Bill was 15? Trouble in Paradise

The technology available today would have blown Uncle Bill's mind in 1917. Do you know what was invented in the year he was born? Sonar Echolocation. The Cruise Missile. Uncle Bill has seen the world change, and he has changed with it. Not only does Uncle Bill have a computer, but he is even on facebook. 

So, happy birthday Uncle Bill. I hope that I too can see my 93rd year with such class. You are a truly and example of aging with grace, I am looking forward to a great evening of celebrating with you!