100th Birthday Wishes: 40+ Messages for a Century

A hundredth birthday is rare enough that most people write one of these cards once, if ever. Here are 40+ messages that mark it properly.

Send yours in a free birthday ecard, or post a card in large, clear handwriting.

Quick 100th birthday wishes

1. Happy 100th birthday! An extraordinary milestone.
2. Happy birthday! One hundred years — congratulations.
3. Happy 100th! Wishing you a wonderful day.
4. A century today! Many happy returns.
5. Happy 100th birthday. What an achievement.
6. Happy birthday! One hundred years young.
7. Congratulations on your 100th birthday!
8. Happy 100th! Wishing you a marvellous celebration.
9. A hundred years! Congratulations and every good wish.
10. Happy birthday! What a life, and what a day to mark it.
11. Happy 100th birthday! Thoroughly deserved celebrations.
12. Wishing you a very happy 100th.

Heartfelt messages

1. Happy 100th birthday. A century of work, family and quiet decency — celebrated loudly today.
2. Happy birthday! You have seen the world change beyond recognition and stayed entirely yourself.
3. Happy 100th. What you have lived through would fill several books.
4. Happy birthday! One hundred years, and the family in this room is the proof of it.
5. Happy 100th birthday. Admired, loved and celebrated today by everyone you have looked after.
6. Happy birthday. A hundred years of being the person others relied on.
7. Happy 100th! Very few people reach this with as much grace as you have.
8. Happy birthday. The world got considerably better for having you in it this long.
9. Happy 100th birthday! Still the wisest person at the table.
10. Happy birthday. A long life well lived, and clearly not finished yet.

From family

1. Happy 100th, Nan. Five generations here today, and every one because of you.
2. Happy birthday, Grandad! One hundred years and still the head of this family.
3. Happy 100th! Whatever we have all turned into, it started with you.
4. Happy birthday! A hundred years of you looking after everyone else. Today is ours to look after you.
5. Happy 100th, Nan. The great-great-grandchildren adore you.
6. Happy birthday! Proud to be yours, today more than ever.
7. Happy 100th birthday! A century, and not one of those years wasted.
8. Happy birthday. With love from all of us — and there are a great many of us.

Light and funny messages

1. Happy 100th! The candles are now a licensed installation.
2. Happy birthday! One hundred years and still sharper than most of this room.
3. Happy 100th! You have outlasted every trend, every fad and most of your doctors.
4. Happy birthday! A century old and still the first to spot nonsense.
5. Happy 100th! Officially old enough to say absolutely anything you like.
6. Happy birthday! One hundred. Take the day off — you have done more than enough.

Short messages

1. Happy 100th birthday!
2. A century — congratulations!
3. Many happy returns.
4. What a milestone.
5. Happy birthday! Loved and celebrated.
6. One hundred years. Remarkable.
7. Happy 100th! Enjoy every bit.
8. With love on your 100th.

How to write it

1. Say the number. A century is the achievement and should be named directly.
2. Point at the life, not the age. What they lived through, built and raised.
3. Write large and clearly. Eyesight at a hundred makes this the most practical thing you can do.
4. Keep it present-tense. Write to who they are today rather than as a retrospective.
5. Check about the official card. In the UK a message from the King can be requested; several countries run similar schemes.

Send it — and pair it with a gift

A free birthday ecard arrives on the day. See also 90th birthday wishes and birthday wishes for Grandma:

FAQ

What do you write for a 100th birthday?

Name the century, point at the life behind it, and write in the present tense. Keep the handwriting large and clear.

Can you get a card from the King for a 100th birthday?

In the UK, yes — a message can be requested for a 100th and for each birthday from 105 onwards. Several other countries run similar schemes; check the current process locally.

Is it rude to mention their age?

Not at a hundred. The number is the entire occasion and almost everyone is proud of it.

Can it be funny?

Gently, and aimed at their sharpness rather than frailty.

What is a good short message?

“Happy 100th birthday! An extraordinary milestone.”

What is a good gift?

Something personal rather than practical — a photo book, a printed family tree, or a folder of letters from everyone.