World's Oldest Man Dies, Again

Posted July 18, 2009, 6:07 pm in GB Topics



It’s been a tough few weeks for the World’s Oldest Man. Tomoji Tanabe died in his sleep at his home in Japan on June 19th, 2009. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, he was 113.

Tanabe, who was born on Sept. 18, 1895, had eight children -- five sons and three daughters. The former city land surveyor also had 25 grandchildren, 53 great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren. He was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's oldest man when he was 111 years old.

Tanabe’s death gave the title of The World’s Oldest Man to Briton Henry Allingham, whose 113th birthday was June 6, 2009. Allington, who attributed his longevity to “cigarettes, whiskey and wild, wild women,” held the title for less than a month, dying peacefully in his sleep Saturday morning, July 18.

Allingham, whose wife Dorothy died in 1970 after 53 years of marriage, had two daughters, six grandchildren, 16 great- grandchildren, 21 great-great-grandchildren and one great-great-great-grandchild.

The title of World’s Oldest Man now belongs to Minnesota-born Walter Breuning, aged 112.

The world’s oldest person is 115-year-old Gertrude Baines, who was born in Georgia on April 6, 1894.

For more on supercentenarians, check out our Centenarian Project.


© 2006-2012. Growing Bolder Media Group. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.