This traction on the retina, which is painless, sends a sensation of light to the brain that we see as flashers. People typically describe these as non-colored sparkles of light in one corner of the field of vision, usually affecting one eye.
South Carolina Republican Sen. Strom Thurmond celebrated his 100th birthday in the U.S. Senate in December 2002; New Jersey Democrat Frank Lautenberg is the oldest current U.S. senator; he is to turn 89 next month.
Brooke was the last Republican Senator elected from Massachusetts until Scott Brown was elected in 2010. Brooke was also the oldest living former Republican Senator and oldest living former Senator after the death of Harry F. Byrd, Jr. in July 2013. Byrd was Senator around the same time as Brooke.