Friday 20 April 2012

World’s oldest living man celebrates 115th birthday




Jiroemon Kimura of Kyoto, Japan, the world's oldest living man, celebrated his 115th birthday on Thursday. According to the Gerontology Research Group (GRG), an international body that specifically deals in longevity research, he is not only the world's oldest living man, but is the third-oldest man in recorded history.


"I'm delighted beyond words," Kimura said of his milestone. However, Kimura is not technically the world's oldest living person. That distinction belongs to Georgia resident Besse Cooper, who was born on August 26, 1896.


Kimura has fathered 7 children (5 are still alive), has 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and 13 great-great-grandchildren. He says eating small portions of food has been his secret to longevity. Kimura worked at a post office for 38 years before switching careers to become a farmer, which he was until he was 90 years old.


And Kimura has another distinction: He is technically a supercentenarian, someone who is 110 or older. According to GRG, there are 70 verified supercentenarians alive today.




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