The Gerontologist, Vol 36, Issue 6 783-788, Copyright © 1996 by The Gerontological Society of America

ARTICLES

The oldest man ever? A case study of exceptional longevity

J Wilmoth, A Skytthe, D Friou and B Jeune
Department of Demography, University of California, Berkeley 94720- 2120, USA.

This article summarizes recent findings in a case study of exceptional longevity. CM, a resident of San Rafael, California, was 114 years old in August 1996. He is the first properly verified case of a 114-year- old man in human history (although a few women have been known to live longer). Our investigation of CM continues as we attempt to gather additional information about his life, family history, and current condition. Here, we consider only two aspects of this case: its authenticity and its significance in the history of human longevity. We believe that we have proven that CM's stated age is accurate. Based on the available information, it also seems a reasonable conjecture that he may be the oldest man alive today and perhaps the oldest man who has ever lived. This study documents an extreme example of human longevity and records characteristics of the man's life that may provide clues about the causes of his exceptional survivorship.

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