Welcome to Running: A FEVER. My name is Michael Davis, and this is a show about fitness, diet, and medicine. My goal is to live a long, healthy, happy, active life right up to the very end.
Last episode was fun, I’ll tell you. Longevity claims of over 3000 years? Hard to believe, and that’s why they are still unverified.
You know, we’ve been doing an annual episode on the ten longest-lived people ever for several years now, but it’s always been just women. Men can’t even make it into the top 25. In this episode, we’re setting the girls aside for once and giving the boys a chance.
Why do women live longer than men? I found a number of factors. And if you’re listening, check out the video or the blog to see an infographic on the subject. By the way, videos are available on my channel at http://YouTube.com/@runningafever. And the blog post for this episode is available at http://RunningAFEVER.com/448.
Women tend to live longer than men for a combination of biological, behavioral, and social factors:
1. Biological Factors
-Hormonal Protection: Estrogen, a primary female hormone, has protective effects on the cardiovascular system and helps regulate cholesterol, reducing heart disease risk.
-Genetic Advantage: Women have two X chromosomes, which provides a backup for certain genetic defects, while men have only one X chromosome.
2. Health Risks
-Heart Disease: Men generally develop heart disease earlier and more frequently than women.
-Risk-Taking Behavior: Men are statistically more likely to engage in high-risk activities, such as dangerous jobs, reckless driving, and substance abuse.
3. Lifestyle and Social Factors
-Healthcare Utilization: Women are more likely to visit doctors regularly and follow preventive care guidelines.
-Social Support: Stronger social networks among women contribute to better mental health and longevity.
4. Biological Aging
-Men often experience faster biological aging due to higher metabolic rates and oxidative stress.
Now, let’s get to the list of the top ten oldest men ever. Unlike last week, these have all been verified by an organization like the Gerontology Research Group. There are three Americans on the list, two were Japanese, and there is one each from Puerto Rico (technically part of the U.S.), Venezuela, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Spain.
Coming in at number ten is American Fred Harold Hale, who lived from December 1, 1890, to November 19, 2004, which is 113 years, 354 days. Fred was a railroad worker and beekeeper. At the age of 95, he surfed for the first time in Hawaii. He set the Guinness World Record as the oldest driver at 104 and continued to drive until he was 108. And the most interesting fact is that he was a Boston Red Sox fan and lived to see both their 1918 World Series win and their next World Series win in 2004, 86 years later. I’m a Red Sox fan as well, and I’ve talked about them a few times on the show.
The ninth-oldest man ever was Joan Rudavets Moll, a Spaniard. And that’s a man, I think it should be pronounced whoan, but it’s spelled like Joan. He lived from December 15, 1889, to March 5, 2004. That’s 114 years, 81 days. He lived all that time in the same town, Es Migjorn Gran, Menorca. His mother died at 25, but his two brothers both lived to be over 100. He worked as a cobbler and was also a village councilor. Joan attributed his longevity to a life of moderation.
Number eight. Tomas Pinales Figurereo. He lived from March 31, 1906, to September 24, 2020, a total of 114 years, 177 days. He was from the Dominican Republic.
Yukichi Chuganji of Japan was born on March 23, 1889, and died on September 28, 2003. He lived 114 years and 189 days, making him the seventh-oldest man ever. He worked as a silkworm breeder and specialist, a bank employee, and a community welfare officer. His diet consisted primarily of meat, but he also ate toffee and drank milk and apple juice. He only drank alcohol in moderation and believed that all of these were the keys to his long life.
At number six, from the United States, is Walter Breuning, a railroad worker who lived in Minnesota, Montana, and South Dakota. He was a Freemason and served as manager/secretary of the local Shriners’ club until the age of 99. He was born September 21, 1896, and lived until April 14, 2011, a total of 114 years, 205 days.
Peru is the nation from which Horacio Celi Mendoza, number five, hails. He lived from January 3, 1897, until September 25, 2011, and was 114 years, 265 days old.
The number four spot is held by Juan Vicente Perez, who was on this earth from May 27, 1909, to April 2, 2024, for 114 years, 265 days. He labored on coffee and sugar plantations until age 31, when he went to work on a farm with his brother. He was the sheriff of Caricuena starting in 1948. He then worked in road construction before selling the Caricuena farm and purchasing property in San Jose de Bolivar, where he lived until his death of unknown cause in 2024. He was a lifelong devout Catholic, and his favorite foods were cake, mondongo, hallaca, and avocados. When he died, Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro paid tribute to him on X (Twitter), and the mayor of San Jose de Bolivar ordered all flags to be flown at half mast for three days.
The U.S. territory of Puerto Rico claims number three on our list, Emiliano Mercado del Toro. Born on August 21, 1891, Emiliano lived 115 years, 156 days before dying on January 24, 2007, of natural causes. He remembered the 1898 U.S. invasion of Puerto Rico. When asked what the secret to his long life was, he said that it was a boiled corn, codfish, and milk cream-like dish, which he had a habit of eating every day. Emiliano spent his working days (which lasted until he was 81) in the sugarcane fields. He served in World War I, but never saw combat, as the armistice was signed while he was still in training. In 1993, U.S. President Bill Clinton honored Emiliano with a medal commemorating the 75th anniversary of the signing of the truce that ended World War I.
We’re getting near the end. Are you excited?
The third non-Puerto Rican American today is Christian Mortensen, with 115 years, 252 days. He was born in Denmark and emigrated to the U.S. in 1903 when he was about 21 years old. Christian worked as a tailor, farm hand, milkman, restaurateur, and factory worker. At the end of his life, he was completely blind and spent most of his time in bed sleeping or sitting in his wheelchair listening to the radio. There were no signs of degenerative disease or dementia. Christian smoked cigars in moderation and drank lots of water. He avoided red meat but was not a vegetarian. He revealed his secret to a long life on his 115th birthday. “Friends, a good cigar, drinking lots of good water, no alcohol, staying positive, and lots of singing will keep you alive for a long time.”
Drum roll please…Japan has the most centenarians, over 100,000. Why is that? I remember when we did the Blue Zones episodes, there was a story about Okinawans, so maybe Japanese culture is the same. Something I need to look into. Anyway, that’s where our number one oldest man ever, Jiroemon Kimura, is from, specifically the fishing village of Kamiukawa in the Kyoto Prefecture, or at least that was where he was born. At that time, he was a citizen of the Empire of Japan. That date was April 19, 1897. He then lived to be 116 years, 54 days old at his death on June 12, 2013. He was a postal worker until he turned 65, then worked another 25 years as a farmer, finally retiring at 90. He served in the Imperial Japanese Army during World War I. Jiroeman was married for 59 years until his wife died at age 75. He had eight children, 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and 13 great-great-grandchildren. He was very health-conscious and active. He woke up early every morning and read newspapers with a magnifying glass. He also enjoyed talking to guests and following live parliamentary debates on TV. He attributed his long and healthy life to eating small portions of food. After his wife died, he lived with his family for the rest of his life. Jiroeman Kimura died of natural causes in a hospital in his hometown of Kyotango, after a brief illness.
Well, it’s good to see the other side of the gender table. Gives a little context to our normal top-ten list. What do you think of all this? Leave a comment on the YouTube video or the blog post. Why not subscribe while you’re there? And remember, if you’ve got the fever, keep it burning; if you don’t, catch the fever. I will see you next time on Running: A FEVER.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_verified_oldest_people
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiroemon_Kimura
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_supercentenarians#Fred_Harold_Hale
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Spanish_supercentenarians#Joan_Riudavets
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Japanese_supercentenarians#Yukichi_Chuganji
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Breuning
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Vicente_P%C3%A9rez
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emiliano_Mercado_del_Toro
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Mortensen