X-Message-Number: 7515 Date: Thu, 16 Jan 1997 08:53:01 -0800 (PST) From: Doug Skrecky <> Subject: Oldest Man in the World Despite Shigechiyo Izumi being included in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest lived man at 120 years, most experts now regard his age at death as "only" 105. The runner up was Pierre Joubert of Quebec, Canada at 113 years. This too has now been debunked. Who is the true record holder for longevity for males? With impecable documentation this honour now lies with Thomas Mortensen of San Rafael, California currently aged 114 years and hoping to make that 115 soon. The runner up is Englishman John Evans who died at the age of 112 years. Currently the second oldest living male is Jean-Marie Robine at 111 years. However these "young guys" are little threat to Frenchwomen Jeanne Calment, who at 121 years is the verified record holder for extreme longevity. Note: The odds of reaching 100 years of age in most industrialized countries are about 1 in 20,000 or 0.005%. Reference: "The Oldest Man Ever? A Case Study of Exceptional Longevity" The Gerontologist 36(6): 783-788 1996 Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=7515