World’s Oldest Man Dies in Japan

At 116, Jiroemon Kimura wasn’t just the world’s oldest person, he was the oldest man ever verified to have lived. Kimura, who was born in 1897, the same year as Amelia Earhart, died in Japan on Wednesday of natural causes. In December 2012, Kimura was named the Guinness World Records’ oldest living man, and later that month he took the title of oldest man ever verified to have lived. After retiring from a 40-year post-office job, Kimura began farming until age 90. He left behind 7 children, 14 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren, and 14 great-great grandchildren. He never smoked and lived by the motto “Eat light and live long,” having been known for his habit of only eating until 80 percent full.