Jiroemon Kimura

Jiroemon Kimura
Native name	木村 次郎右衛門
Born	Miyake Kinjirō (三宅 金治郎) 19 April 1897 (age &&&&&&&&&&&&0116.&&&&&0116 years, &&&&&&&&&&&&&032.&&&&&032 days) Kyōtango, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
Residence	Kyōtango, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
Occupation	Retired postal worker, farmer
Known for	Oldest verified living man since 14 April 2011, Oldest verified living person since 17 December 2012, Oldest verified man ever since 28 December 2012. Last verified living person born in 1897. First man to live up to 116.
Spouse	Yae Kimura (1904-1978) (m. ?–1978; her death)
Children	7 children (5 surviving)
Parents	Morizo and Fusa Miyake
Relatives	15 grandchildren (14 surviving) 25 great-grandchildren 13 great-great-grandchildren

Jiroemon Kimura (木村 次郎右衛門, born 19 April 1897) is a Japanese supercentenarian, who has been listed by the Guinness World Records as the oldest living person in the world since the death of Dina Manfredini on December 17, 2012. Kimura became the oldest man ever verified by the Guinness World Records after his lifespan became longer than that of Christian Mortensen on December 28, 2012. He is the only living man who was born before the 1900s, as well as the oldest and last verified person ever to have been born in the year 1897.

Personal History

Kimura was born as Kinjiro Miyake (三宅 金治郎 Miyake Kinjirō) in the fishing village of Kamiukawa. After he fishished school at the age of 14, he worked for local post offices for over 45 years until he retired in 1962 at the age of 65. In the 1920's, he also worked as a government communications worker in Korea, which was at the time a colony of Japan. After he returned from Korea, he married Yae Kimura and changed his name to Jiroemon Kimura, since his wife's family lacked a male heir. They were married until her death in 1978 and had seven children, five of which are still living. He lives in Kyōtango, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan with his eldest son's widow and grandson's widow.

According to a nephew of his, Jiroemon Kimura's date of birth was actually 19 March 1897, but was recorded in error as 19 April 1897 in 1955. Guinness World Records however recognise him according to his records as being born on 19 April 1897, aged &&&&&&&&&&&&0116.&&&&&0116 years, &&&&&&&&&&&&&032.&&&&&032 days.

Longevity Records

• 16 October 2007 – Kimura was added to the Guinness World Records Gerontology Research Group list.
• 23 February 2009 – Kiyosho Igarashi died. Kimura, aged 111 years, 310 days, became the last surviving man born in 1897.
• 19 June 2009 – Tomoji Tanabe died. Kimura, aged 112 years, 61 days, became the oldest living man in Japan.
• 5 September 2010 – Kimura, aged 113 years, 139 days, lived to be older than Fredrick Frazier, becoming one of the 10 oldest verified men ever.
• 4 November 2010 – Eugenie Blanchard died. Kimura, aged 113 years, 200 days, became one of the 10 verified oldest living people.
• 19 January 2011 – Kimura, aged 113 years, 275 days, entered the list of the 100 verified oldest people.
• 14 April 2011 – Walter Breuning died. Kimura, aged 113 years, 360 days, became the world's oldest living man and the last known man ever to have been born before the 1900's.
• 19 April 2011 (possibly 19 March 2011) – Kimura became the 6th verified man to reach the age of 114.
• 11 September 2011 – Tanekichi Onishi died. Kimura, aged 114 years, 145 days, became the last Japanese man born in the 19th century.
• 26 October 2011 – Kimura, aged 114 years, 190 days, lived to be older than Yukichi Chuganji, becoming the oldest verified Japanese man ever.
• 2 December 2011 – Chiyono Hasegawa died. Kimura, aged 114 years, 227 days, became the oldest living Japanese and Asian person.
• 19 April 2012 (possibly 19 March 2012) – Kimura became the 28th verified person and 3rd verified man to reach the age of 115.
• 2 May 2012 (possibly 1 April 2012) – Kimura, aged 115 years, 13 days, lived to be older than Chiyono Hasegawa, becoming the oldest Asian person ever to live in three centuries and the second oldest Asian person ever.
• 12 August 2012 (possibly 12 July 2012) – Kimura, aged 115 years, 115 days, lived to be older than Maria de Jesus, becoming one of the 20 oldest people ever.
• 23 September 2012 (possibly 23 August 2012) – Kimura, aged 115 years, 157 days, lived to be older than Emiliano Mercado del Toro, becoming the oldest verified man ever to live in three centuries.
• 4 December 2012 – Besse Cooper died. Kimura, aged 115 years 229 days became the second oldest person after Dina Manfredini (or the oldest person in the world and first man to hold the title since Emiliano Mercado del Toro died on 24 January 2007 if born on 19 March 1897).
• 17 December 2012 – Dina Manfredini died. Kimura, if born on 19 April 1897, aged 115 years, 242 days, would have become the oldest living person in the world.
• 28 December 2012 (possibly 27 November 2012) – Kimura, aged 115 years, 253 days, lived to be older than Christian Mortensen, becoming the oldest verified man ever.
• 2 January 2013 – Kimura, if born on 19 April 1897, aged 115 years, 258 days, lived to be older than Dina Manfredini, becoming one of the 10 oldest verified people and the longest-lived person born in 1897 (Kimura would have already held both of these titles if born on 19 March 1897).
• 12 January 2013 – Koto Okubo died. Kimura, aged 115 years, 268 days (possibly 115 years, 299 days) became the last known surviving person born in 1897.
• 19 April 2013 – Kimura became the 9th verified person and first verified man to reach the age of 116.

References

Preceded by Besse Cooper or Dina Manfredini

Oldest recognized living person December 4 or December 17, 2012 –

Succeeded by Not yet known