"The Future Looks Viral" is a weekly series where we profile the people behind an innovative, new online project, be it a parody Twitter account, web series or artsy Instagram profile. They all have one thing in common: the potential to go viral.
If you're ever in need of a morale booster, Outlived.org might be what you're looking for. Just plug in your date of birth into this online database, and you'll soon find out the notable individuals in areas ranging from art to sports to politics you have outlived and those who currently outlive you. Dying at an age older than Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon or Leonardo da Vinci might not be the biggest accomplishment ever, but hey, it's something.
The website is the brainchild of Rob Sedgwick, a London-based software developer. He got the inspiration for the site when he realized one day that he had outlived such influential figures as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Elvis Presley.
"I thought about what these guys had achieved in their lives and I had in mine at the same age, and they definitely were the winners," Sedgwick told T-Lounge via email. "That got me thinking about [what] other historical figures I had outlived."
Sedgwick launched the website about three or four years ago after it only took a few days of building. The biographical information in the database comes from various sources, including Wikipedia. Sedgwick is also always looking for contributions for names and dates to add in the future.
