Anthony Santoro And Wife June, From Parkville, Maryland, Celebrate 70th Wedding Anniversary

In 1942, the world was embroiled in a bloody war whose end was nowhere in sight. That same year, boxer Muhammad Ali and Beatle Paul McCartney were born -- and the first electronic digital computer was successfully tested at Iowa State University.

But for Anthony "Drapey" Santoro and his wife June, 1942 holds a special, timeless significance -- for it was in that year, on April 19th, that the Santoros got married.

Celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary, the Parkville, Md. couple who have five children and 15 grandchildren told ABC News the secret to their long and fruitful marriage: dancing.

The couple dances together 5 times a week, 4 hours a night.

"I think that keeps us going," said 89-year-old June, adding that they've been dancing ever since they met.

"It gets better as the years go by," Drapey, 90, told ABC News. "I probably love her more now than when I met her."

The US Census Bureau reported that only about 6 percent of married couples ever make it to their 50th wedding anniversary.

Yet, despite the rarity of it, a number of other happy couples who celebrated their platinum wedding anniversaries this year are proving that even 70 years of marital bliss is not an impossible fantasy.

Ruth and Larry Shifman from New Hyde Park, N.Y., who celebrated 70 years together in February, told Fox News that their formula for success is simple.

"The secret to 70 years is to love each other, be happy," Ruth said, adding that it was important to be "compatible."

"There's no competition," Larry said in agreement. "She's so terrific."

For Fred and Norma Johnson of Lake County, Fla., seven decades haven't been remotely long enough.

"We had a good beginning," 91-year-old Fred told the Orlando Sentinel in March. "But it has been too short, these 70 years. I think the best is still yet to come."

Fred Johnson, Anthony Santoro and Larry Shifman are all veterans of World War II.

Clarification: This article has been edited to reflect the fact that there are many factors that make reaching one's 50th wedding anniversary a rarity. A sentence about high divorce rates in the United States has been removed to avoid confusion.