Queen Elizabeth II is now the world's oldest head of state.

When she ascended the throne in 1952, only 20% of today's UK population was alive.



Queen Elizabeth II has ruled for so long that most people in the United Kingdom have never known another monarch.

She became queen when her father, King George VI, died on February 6, 1952 (though her official coronation was on June 2, 1953).

During her reign, she has outlasted 14 British prime ministers and 13 US presidents.

After Robert Mugabe was ousted as president of Zimbabwe on Tuesday, the Queen became the world's oldest head of state, at 91 years old.

When she dies, life will turn upside down for Brits, and many others who admire her from across the globe.

The impact will be even deeper because 80% of UK residents weren't alive when Queen Elizabeth ascended the throne.

According to the UK Office for National Statistics, only 12 million UK residents were alive when King George was on the throne in 1952. That's only 20% of the UK's population of 66 million.

Since the most recent UK census data was from 2014, we used age-specific death rates to calculate how many Brits who were over 63 in 2014 would likely still be alive today.

This remarkable fact is a testament to Queen Elizabeth's stamina as Britain's longest reigning monarch, and the world's oldest head of state.