The Best in the World

Have we missed our chance to be the Best in the World? At what? Anything! What am I blabbering about?
I was thinking about "the bests" and it seems like the bests were all "the best" while they were young. I'm not ancient, but I don't classify as "young" either. I even aged out of the "young democrats society" so I guess I am officially "not young".
Here's a list of names that comes to mind:
George Lucas (Star Wars at 26) - though he might still be "the best"
Tiger Woods
Babe Ruth
Richard Petty
Michael Jordan
Emmitt Smith
Elvis
The Beatles
Bill Gates
Stephen King
Steven Spielberg

I am trying to think of people who "became" the best after they were 30 or 40. Not just people who became the best when they were young and then stayed the best or pretty good until they were old. For example:

Louis Pasteur - did his best work late in life
Ulyssess Grant - became the Commander in Chief after being "the town drunk" at age 40
Mark Twain - he wasn't Mark Twain until he was older
Albert Einstein
JK Rowling

It looks like we may have missed our chance to be the world's best rock and roller or sports figure, but may author, creator, illustrator, scientist, inventor, discoverer is still out there for the taking? I intend to act as if it is and go for it.