Jiroemon Kimura
A Japanese postal worker whose 116-year life spanned three centuries, becoming the oldest verified man in recorded human history.
1897–2013 (age 116)·Japanese supercentenarian·Birthday: April 19·The Lost Generation
Biography
Jiroemon Kimura lived a life of remarkable, quiet consistency that culminated in a global record. Born in 1897, in a Japan still ruled by an emperor, he worked for over four decades for the postal service and later in agriculture. His world transformed from one of rice paddies and telegraphs to one of bullet trains and the internet. Researchers who studied supercentenarians like Kimura noted his modest diet, his active engagement with family and community, and a seemingly unflappable disposition. In his final years, as he outlived every other man on the planet, he became a gentle celebrity in his hometown of Kyotango. When he died in 2013 at 116 years and 54 days, he held a unique title: the oldest man whose age has been irrefutably documented. His longevity was not just a personal feat but a data point that expanded humanity's understanding of the possible limits of the male lifespan.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Jiroemon was born in 1897, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jiroemon Was Born
The biggest hits of 1897
Jiroemon's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1897Born
President: William McKinley
1902Started school
The eruption of Mount Pelee kills 30,000 in Martinique
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1910Became a teenager
Halley's Comet makes its closest approach
President: William Howard Taft
1913Could drive
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1915Could vote
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Turned 21
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1927Turned 30
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1937Turned 40
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1947Turned 50
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1957Turned 60
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1967Turned 70
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 80
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
2013Died at 116
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Key Achievements
- Verified as the oldest man in recorded history, living to 116 years and 54 days (1897–2013).
- Became the world's oldest living person in December 2012, holding the title until his death.
- Recognized as the last living man born in the 19th century.
- His meticulously documented case provided valuable data for gerontological studies on extreme human longevity.
Did You Know?
He attributed his long life to eating small meals, reading the newspaper daily, and soaking up the sun.
For his 116th birthday, he received a congratulatory message from the Guinness World Records editor-in-chief delivered via Skype.
He worked in the post office for 45 years and took up farming after retirement.
He lived through the reigns of five Japanese emperors: Meiji, Taishō, Shōwa, Heisei, and into the beginning of Reiwa (though he died just before the new era was announced).
“Eat light to live long.”
