At 115 years and 252 days old, Jiroemon Kimura has landed the title of the world’s oldest man ever.
Christian Mortensen, a Danish American who passed away in 1998, was the previous record holder.
According to the Telegraph , Kimura was born on April 19, 1897.
Craig Glenday, the Editor-in-Chief of the Guinness World Records, said that Kimura is only the 3rd man in history to reach the age of 115 and the first Japanese man to reach that age. Kimura became the oldest living person in the world earlier this month and is now the oldest man to ever live on earth.
A message on his Facebook page reads:
“This is a fan page dedicated to 115 year old Jiroemon Kimura the oldest man in Japan and the Oldest man in the world, the last sole surviving male from the 19th century. As of December 17th Jiroemon Kimura is the oldest living person in the world.”
Kimura, who made a living as a postal worker, has 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and 13 great-great-grandchildren. He currently lives in Kyotango.
So how has Kimura managed to reach the age of 115? According to his Facebook page, Kimura “wakes up early in the morning and reads newspapers with a magnifying glass. Also, he enjoys talking to guests and follows live parliamentary debates on television. According to him, small portions of food are the key to a long and healthy life.”
Kimura may be the world’s oldest man ever but he’s got a long way to go to become the oldest person in the history of the world. There are 10 women who have lived longer than Kimura. Jeanne Calment, who passed away in 1997, was 122-years-old.