Jiroemon Kimura, world’s oldest person and oldest man ever, dies in Japan at age 116

TOKYO – Japan’s Jiroemon Kimura, who had been recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest living person, the oldest living man and the oldest man ever, died Wednesday of natural causes. He was 116.

Kimura, of Kyotango, Japan, was born April 19, 1897.

According to Guinness, Kimura was the first man in history to have lived to 116 years old. Kimura became the oldest man ever on Dec. 28, 2012, at the age of 115 years, 253 days, breaking the record set by Christian Mortensen, a Danish immigrant to the United States, whose life spanned from 1882-1998.

The title of oldest living person is now another Japanese, Misao Okawa, of Osaka. She is also the world’s oldest living woman.