World's oldest man, Juan Vicente Pérez Mora, dies a month shy of his 115th birthday
Juan Vicente Pérez Mora had held the title of world’s oldest living man since 2022. (X: Freddy Bernal)
Venezuelan Juan Vicente Pérez Mora, the oldest man in the world according to Guinness World Records, has died.
Mr Pérez Mora was 114 years old, and a month shy of his 115th birthday when he died. He was born on May 27, 1909.
He’d held the title of world’s oldest living man since 2022 — back when he was 112.
The Guinness World Records posted a tribute to Mr Pérez Mora in a statement on its website.
“It’s been an honour to recognise and celebrate the incredible long life of Venezuela’s first ever fully authenticated supercentenarian man,” Guinness World Records editor-in-chief Craig Glenday said.
“Not only was Sr Pérez Mora his country’s oldest citizen and the first South American recognised by Guinness World Records as the oldest living man, he is now history’s fourth oldest male whose age has been officially ratified.
“How remarkable to think that we’ve just said goodbye to a man born before Louis Bleriot flew across the English Channel!”
Mr Pérez Mora and his wife — who died in 1997 — had 11 children.
He had 42 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren, according to the Guinness World Records.
“He attributed his longevity to working hard, resting on holidays, going to bed early, drinking a glass of aguardiente every day, loving God, and always carrying him in his heart,” the website said.
Aguardiente is a locally distilled liquor.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro paid tribute to the great-great-grandfather on social media platform X.
He was remembered as a humble and hard-working man by Freddy Bernal, the governor of the Venezuelan state where Mr Pérez Mora lived.
How old is the oldest living man now?
“The next oldest man living is expected to be 112-year-old Gisaburo Sonobe of Japan, pending confirmation from his family,” the Guinness World Records said in a statement.
How old is the world’s oldest living person?
Currently, the title of the world’s oldest living person (and oldest living woman) belongs to Maria Branyas Morera, who is 117 years old.
According to her X profile, she was born on March 4, 1907.
How old was the oldest person ever?
The Guinness World Record for the oldest person ever is held by Jeanne Louise Calment, who lived 122 years and 164 days.
She was born in 1875 and died in France in 1997.
But there have been claims about people living longer than that.
For example, the family of Indonesian man Sodimedjo, also known as Mbah Ghoto, said he was 146 years old when he died.
His papers said he was born in December 1870.
According to a 2017 BBC report, his papers were valid “but there have been mistakes before”.
In its article about Sodimedjo, Reuters pointed out that it could not independently verify his age.
Age claims go through ‘intense scrutiny’
The organisation came under fire earlier this year when some experts raised doubts over the true age of a dog, which had been named as the world’s oldest.
It came after the dog, called Bobi, died in October.
The organisation posted about his death, saying he was 31 years old — a claim some veterinarians disputed.
In February, Guinness World Records revoked his title, saying there was no conclusive evidence that he lived more than 31 years.
In announcing the death of Mr Pérez Mora, the organisation said it ratified old age claims with consulting companies.
“There is a need for intense scrutiny with old-age claims,” the statement said.
“Guinness World Records is advised in its ratification of longevity claims by the Gerontology Research Group, and, since 2005, by Senior Gerontology Consultant Robert Young,”