People In Disbelief Over What A 39-Year-Old Man Looked Like In 1964

Oh, the way humans have evolved! People’s average height has changed quite a bit, as has life expectancy over the years.

According to Our World in Data, back in 1896, the average man stood around 5-foot-3-inches tall. A hundred years later, in 1996, men had stretched up to an average of 5-foot-6.

Women’s average height has also increased over time. In 1896, they were around 4-foot-9, but by 1996, the average woman was 5-foot-2.

The point is, in just a century, humans have grown quite a bit taller overall.

Now, think back to 1964 and the classic James Bond movie Goldfinger, where we saw the dashing Sean Connery as 007 face off against Auric Goldfinger, played by Gert Fröbe.

If you haven’t watched the early Bond films, it’s definitely worth carving out some time to do so. 

If you've seen Goldfinger, you might remember Colonel Smithers, played by Richard Vernon, who was just 39 years old during filming.

A still image of Vernon from the movie has been making its way around social media, showing him with grey hair and a few noticeable wrinkles.

Comparing his look to actors like Chris Hemsworth and Henry Cavill at 41 really shows a dramatic difference.

Though let's be real, I doubt many of us are aging to look like Thor or Superman either, so maybe it’s not a fair comparison!

Richard Vernon pictured alongside Sean Connery - now that's just unfair, no one will look young next to him! United Artists

Vernon, who passed away at age 72 from complications with Parkinson's disease in 1997, certainly lived in a different era.

And while times have definitely changed since then, it hasn’t stopped people from sharing their reactions to the image.

"People aged differently back then. Probably smoked 3 packs and drank half a litre of Whiskey daily as well," one Twitter user joked.

A 39-year-old Richard Vernon playing Colonel Smithers in Ian Fleming's 'Goldfinger' United Artists

Another added: "That is completely absurd."

"Didn't believe it until I looked it up! These men were born 5 years apart," said another, who posted a comparison photo of Vernon and Sean Connery together.

Similar reactions have popped up on Reddit, with many saying they thought Vernon looked more like he was in his late 50s or early 60s.

"Well early 60s is honestly what I would have guessed. But he doesn't look 39. I guess the years weren't kind to him," wrote one Reddit user.

"He's a good 7 years younger than Jared Leto. What the hell did people do in the 60s that made them age so fast?" commented another.