Time & hindsight

When were you happiest?

585 answers answered between 1930 and 2026 one of 25 in The Q&A

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

Asked in 52 of the 131 consecutive instalments of The Guardian's The Q&A harvested on 2026-08-29.

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Public figures who have answered a question like this elsewhere. Quoted from the source shown, not written for FLAPSS.

Read by field Everyone Science and medicine 4 Arts and letters 494 Politics and public life 38 Business and finance 19 Sport 30
Read by age Any age Before thirty 25 In their thirties 83 In their forties 113 In their fifties 109 In their sixties 100 Seventy and beyond 77
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Doris Day American actress and singer
My childhood summers in Trenton, Ohio, and starting work at Warner Bros.
Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, April 1995 source ↗
Yoko Ono Japanese artist and activist
When the war was over—whichever war that was.
Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, December 1995 source ↗
Little Richard
In Macon, Georgia, during my childhood. I knew everybody there—it was like the whole town was your family. I felt complete there.
Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, November 2001 source ↗
Kurt Vonnegut Novelist and essayist
I think it would be the moment where I was doing everything right, where I was beyond criticism. It was back in World War II. It was snowing, but everything was black. The trucks were rolling in. I was surrounded by my buddies. And my rifle was between my knees, my helmet on my head. I was ready for anything. And I was right where I belonged. That would be the moment. It would have to be the moment.
Recorded J. Rentilly, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, 17 September 2002 source ↗
Olivia de Havilland Film actress; twice winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress
In their company, each of us doing his/her own thing in perfect harmony.
Recorded Vanity Fair, 7 February 2005 source ↗
Sue Townsend English writer and humorist
Flying over the Australian outback in a jet, looking down at the incredible orange scenery, the uninhabited hills and gullies, listening to Tchaikovsky on my headphones and drinking champagne with a cigarette in my hand. It was 1984, I'd been to the Adelaide Book Festival and was going back to my husband and my children.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 20 January 2007 source ↗
Jimmy Savile English media personality and sex offender
During the war - to a teenager, wartime is very exciting. And when there was no traffic, I could ride my bike about the lovely Yorkshire lanes with not a car in sight. And I'm very happy today because I'm not skint.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 26 May 2007 source ↗
Mischa Barton British and American actress
When I got my dogs, Charlie and Ziggy Stardust. One is a pomeranian mix and the other is a rescue mutt, and, oh my God, he's so cute.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 9 June 2007 source ↗
Ed Harris American actor and director
The day our daughter was born, or maybe fishing on the Colorado river with my wife and brother and his buddy Earl.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 11 August 2007 source ↗
Eli Roth American film director and screenwriter
When I'm on set, filming.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 20 October 2007 source ↗
Pamela Anderson Canadian-American actress and model
When Peta picked me to be on their first Times Square anti-fur billboard.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 19 January 2008 source ↗
Boy George British musician
I am relieved to say that I find it hard to answer such a question, because if I could it would suggest that my life has become dreary and empty.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 9 February 2008 source ↗
Julie Andrews English actress, singer and author
In London. When Blake [Edwards, her husband since 1969] made me laugh so much I wept. Blake says I slept with a smile.
Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, April 2008 source ↗

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