World's Oldest Person, and Oldest Man Ever, Dies at 116. Below Is A List of the Oldest Verified Living Humans in History
Japan's Jiroemon Kimura, who had been recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest living person and the oldest man ever, died Wednesday of natural causes, reported Fox News. He was 116.
Kimura, of Kyotango, Japan, was born April 19, 1897. Officials in Kyotango said he died in a local hospital, where he had been undergoing treatment for pneumonia, according to Fox News.
According to Guinness, Kimura was the first man in history to have lived to 116 years old.
Kimura became the oldest man ever on Dec. 28, 2012, at the age of 115 years, 253 days, breaking the record set by Christian Mortensen, a Danish immigrant to the United States, whose life spanned from 1882-1998.
The title of oldest living person is now held by another Japanese, 115-year-old Misao Okawa, of Osaka. Okawa was born March 5, 1898.
"Jiroemon Kimura was an exceptional person," said Craig Glenday, editor-in-chief of Guinness World Records. "As the only man to have ever lived for 116 years - and the oldest man whose age has been fully authenticated - he has a truly special place in world history."
Kyotango officials said Kimura's funeral would be held Friday.
"Mr. Kimura was and will always be a treasure to our town, to our country and to our world," said Mayor Yasushi Nakayama.
The new oldest living man, according to the U.S.-based Gerontology Research Group, is James McCoubrey, an American who was born in Canada on Sept. 13, 1901. Now 111 years old, he is the 32nd oldest living person according to GRG's list, which shows all those older than him are women.
Here is a list of the five oldest verified humans on earth (source: WikiPedia):
Rank |
Name |
Birth date |
Death date |
Age |
Place of death |
1 |
|
19 April 1897 |
12 June 2013 |
116 years, 54 days |
|
2 |
|
16 August 1882 |
25 April 1998 |
115 years, 252 days |
|
3 |
|
21 August 1891 |
24 January 2007 |
115 years, 156 days |
|
4 |
|
21 September 1896 |
14 April 2011 |
114 years, 205 days |
United States |
5 |
|
23 March 1889 |
28 September 2003 |
114 years, 189 days |
Japan |