Here are the mortality rates for white males in 1910 and 2001. The average life expectancy at birth for a white male in 1910 was just under 49 years and in 2001 it was 74, an increase of over 25 years. Even if you get past the high infant mortality rates of 1910, there is still a very significant difference in life expectancy over a 91 year span. 10 year old white males from 2001 still have nearly a 24 year longer life expectancy than their 1910 counterparts.