List of oldest living people

List of Oldest Living People is a documentation and record-keeping article that lists individuals believed to be the oldest living people worldwide. This list is often subject to change due to the advanced age of the individuals and relies on verifiable sources for confirmation of ages. The interest in the oldest living people has grown over the years, not only out of curiosity but also due to its implications for gerontology, the study of aging, and longevity research.

Criteria and Verification

To be included in the List of Oldest Living People, individuals must have attained the age of 110 years. This age threshold qualifies them as supercentenarians, a term used to describe people who have lived beyond the age of 110. The verification of the ages of these individuals is crucial and is typically conducted by bodies such as the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) or the International Database on Longevity (IDL), which scrutinize birth records and other documentary evidence.

Notable Individuals

Over the years, several individuals have gained recognition through their inclusion in the list. While the list is constantly changing, notable past and sometimes current holders of the title "world's oldest living person" include:

- Jeanne Calment: The French supercentenarian who lived to be 122 years and 164 days old, holding the record for the oldest verified person ever. - Kane Tanaka: Recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's oldest living person until her death at the age of 119 years. - Jiroemon Kimura: The oldest verified man ever, who lived to be 116 years and 54 days old.

Challenges and Controversies

The task of verifying the age of supercentenarians is fraught with challenges. Issues such as the lack of birth records, especially for individuals born in the late 19th or early 20th century, and discrepancies in documentation, can make verification difficult. Additionally, there have been controversies and claims of age exaggeration, which necessitate rigorous scrutiny by verifying organizations.

Impact and Significance

The List of Oldest Living People is not just a record of extraordinary human longevity but also serves as a valuable resource for researchers in the fields of gerontology and genetics. Studying the lives, health, and genetic backgrounds of supercentenarians can provide insights into the mechanisms of aging and disease resistance, potentially informing strategies for extending human healthspan.

See Also

- Supercentenarian - Gerontology - Longevity myths - Centenarian