List of American supercentenarians

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American supercentenarians are citizens or residents of the United States who have attained or surpassed 110 years of age. As of January 2015, the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) had validated the longevity claims of 782 American supercentenarians.[1] The oldest American alive is Alelia Murphy (born Grifton, North Carolina, July 6, 1905), aged 113 years, 219 days.[2] The longest-lived person ever from the United States was Sarah Knauss, of Hollywood, Pennsylvania, who died on December 30, 1999, aged 119 years, 97 days.[3][4]

Living American supercentenarians[edit]

  Disputed
Below is a list of supercentenarians who are currently[citation needed] alive in the United States, from oldest to youngest.

No. Name Sex Birth date Age as of February 10, 2019 Birthplace Residence
01 Maggie Kidd[5] F December 8, 1904 114 years, 64 days Georgia Georgia
02 Alelia Murphy[2] F July 6, 1905 113 years, 219 days North Carolina New York
03 Hester Ford[2] F August 15, 1905 113 years, 179 days South Carolina North Carolina
04 Iris Westman[2] F August 28, 1905 113 years, 166 days North Dakota North Dakota
05 Isabel Castaño Restrepo[6] F January 11, 1906 113 years, 30 days Colombia Florida
06 Margaret Whitlock[2] F March 5, 1906 112 years, 342 days Washington Washington
07 Mazie Ford[2] F June 28, 1906 112 years, 227 days Pennsylvania Florida
08 Minnie Whicker[2] F July 24, 1906 112 years, 201 days Arkansas California
09 Thelma Sutcliffe[2] F October 1, 1906 112 years, 132 days Nebraska Nebraska
10 Louise Schaaf[7] F October 16, 1906 112 years, 117 days Germany Illinois
11 Beulah Meloche[8] F November 23, 1906 112 years, 79 days New York New York
12 Ellen Goodwill[9] F February 2, 1907 112 years, 8 days Kentucky Michigan
13 Maria Branyas Morera[10] F March 4, 1907 111 years, 343 days California Spain
14 Ardith Grose[11] F March 22, 1907 111 years, 325 days (unknown) Pennsylvania
15 Sixta Tulia Aguinaga de Posada[12][13] F April 22, 1907 111 years, 294 days Colombia New York
16 Voncile Dry[14][15] F April 24, 1907 111 years, 292 days Florida Florida
17 Opal Goode[16][17] F June 3, 1907 111 years, 252 days Oklahoma California
18 Lona Collins[18] F June 18, 1907 111 years, 237 days Oklahoma Ohio
19 Evelyn Kleine[19] F July 11, 1907 111 years, 214 days Minnesota Minnesota
20 Henry Tseng[20] M July 12, 1907 111 years, 213 days Japan California
21 Ethel Sinclaire[21] F August 14, 1907 111 years, 180 days Georgia Georgia
22 Maude Harris[22] F August 15, 1907 111 years, 179 days Minnesota Florida
23 Laura Oblitas[23] F August 24, 1907 111 years, 170 days New Jersey New Jersey
24 C. P. Crawford[24] M August 25, 1907 111 years, 169 days Mississippi Illinois
25 Elizabeth Marazi[25] F August 27, 1907 111 years, 167 days Delaware Pennsylvania
26 Bessie Hendricks[26] F November 7, 1907 111 years, 95 days Iowa Iowa
27 Downing Jett Kay[27] F November 23, 1907 111 years, 79 days Maryland Maryland
28 Hazel Eikermann[28][29] F December 11, 1907 111 years, 61 days Kansas Colorado
29 Katie Logemann[30][31] F December 15, 1907 111 years, 57 days Germany California
30 Suzy Ford[32] F December 24, 1907 111 years, 48 days Missouri Missouri
31 Elsada Miriam Duncan[33] F January 15, 1908 111 years, 26 days Jamaica Georgia
32 Christine Ireland[34] F January 19, 1908 111 years, 22 days North Carolina North Carolina
33 Edna Runyon[35] F January 25, 1908 111 years, 16 days Arkansas Arkansas
34 Doris Sperber[36] F January 28, 1908 111 years, 13 days New York California
35 Stella Lennox[37] F January 31, 1908 111 years, 10 days North Dakota Illinois
36 Edie Ceccarelli[38] F February 5, 1908 111 years, 5 days California California
37 Willie Mae Hardy[39] F March 11, 1908 110 years, 336 days Georgia Georgia
38 Goldie Small[40] F April 1, 1908 110 years, 315 days New York New York
39 Mary Johnson[41][42] F April 7, 1908 110 years, 309 days Arkansas Missouri
40 Erna Zahn[43] F April 14, 1908 110 years, 302 days Wisconsin Minnesota
41 Avicia Thorpe[44] F April 16, 1908 110 years, 300 days Virginia Virginia
42 Gertrude Ellison[45] F May 16, 1908 110 years, 270 days North Dakota Washington
43 Sun Choe[46] F May 28, 1908 110 years, 258 days Korea New Jersey
44 Hazel Ventling[47] F June 5, 1908 110 years, 250 days Iowa Iowa
45 Ruby Staley[48] F June 8, 1908 110 years, 247 days Maryland Maryland
46 Charlotte Strehlow[49] F July 18, 1908 110 years, 207 days Nebraska Wisconsin
47 Hazel Nilson[50] F August 21, 1908 110 years, 173 days Illinois New Hampshire
48 Marie LeVan[51] F September 3, 1908 110 years, 160 days Pennsylvania Connecticut
49 Rodolphe Buxcel[52] M September 5, 1908 110 years, 158 days Switzerland Illinois
50 Esther Wittenburg[53] F September 27, 1908 110 years, 136 days (unknown) Iowa
51 Pauline Angleman[54] F October 4, 1908 110 years, 129 days Oklahoma California
52 Barbara Barton[55] F October 12, 1908 110 years, 121 days Rhode Island Rhode Island
53 Ruth Weyl[56] F November 6, 1908 110 years, 96 days Germany New York
54 Mary LaValle[57] F November 17, 1908 110 years, 85 days Minnesota Minnesota
55 Naomi Curtright[58] F December 4, 1908 110 years, 68 days Missouri Missouri
56 Irving Piken[59] M December 20, 1908 110 years, 52 days New York California
57 Irene Miller[60] F December 28, 1908 110 years, 44 days Massachusetts Massachusetts
58 Louise Farrar[61] F January 10, 1909 110 years, 31 days Indiana Indiana
59 Maria de la Talamantes[62] F January 11, 1909 110 years, 30 days Mexico Texas
60 Modesto Lopez Bautista[63] M January 17, 1909 110 years, 24 days Mexico California

100 oldest American people ever[edit]

Below is a list of the longest lived American supercentenarians according to the GRG.[1][64]

  Deceased   Living
Unranked entries have not yet been validated by the GRG.
^ denotes age at death, or, if living, age as of February 10, 2019

Rank Name Sex Birth date Death date Age[†] Birthplace Place of death
or residence
01 Sarah Knauss[1] F September 24, 1880 December 30, 1999 119 years, 97 days Pennsylvania Pennsylvania
02 Lucy Hannah[1] F July 16, 1875 March 21, 1993 117 years, 248 days Alabama Michigan
03 Susannah Mushatt Jones[64] F July 6, 1899 May 12, 2016 116 years, 311 days Alabama New York
04 Gertrude Weaver[64] F July 4, 1898 April 6, 2015 116 years, 276 days Arkansas Arkansas
05 Elizabeth Bolden[1] F August 15, 1890 December 11, 2006 116 years, 118 days Tennessee Tennessee
06 Besse Cooper[64] F August 26, 1896 December 4, 2012 116 years, 100 days Tennessee Georgia
07 Jeralean Talley[64] F May 23, 1899 June 17, 2015 116 years, 25 days Georgia Michigan
08 Maggie Barnes[1] F March 6, 1882 January 19, 1998 115 years, 319 days North Carolina North Carolina
09 Dina Manfredini[64] F April 4, 1897 December 17, 2012 115 years, 257 days Italy Iowa
10 Christian Mortensen[1] M August 16, 1882 April 25, 1998 115 years, 252 days Denmark California
11 Edna Parker[64] F April 20, 1893 November 26, 2008 115 years, 220 days Indiana Indiana
12 Margaret Skeete[1] F October 27, 1878 May 7, 1994 115 years, 192 days Texas Virginia
13 Bernice Madigan[64] F July 24, 1899 January 3, 2015 115 years, 163 days Massachusetts Massachusetts
14 Gertrude Baines[64] F April 6, 1894 September 11, 2009 115 years, 158 days Georgia California
15 Bettie Wilson[1] F September 13, 1890 February 13, 2006 115 years, 153 days Mississippi Mississippi
16 Marie Josephine Gaudette[64] F March 25, 1902 July 13, 2017 115 years, 110 days New Hampshire Italy
17 Susie Gibson[1] F October 31, 1890 February 16, 2006 115 years, 108 days Mississippi Alabama
18 Augusta Holtz[64] F August 3, 1871 October 21, 1986 115 years, 79 days Prussia[a] Missouri
19 Maude Farris-Luse[1] F January 21, 1887 March 18, 2002 115 years, 56 days Michigan Michigan
20 Antonia Gerena Rivera[64] F May 19, 1900 June 2, 2015 115 years, 14 days Puerto Rico[b] Florida
21 Mary Bidwell[1] F May 19, 1881 April 25, 1996 114 years, 342 days Connecticut Connecticut
Ophelia Burks[66] F October 25, 1903 September 27, 2018 114 years, 337 days Louisiana Louisiana
22 Mary Josephine Ray[64] F May 17, 1895 March 7, 2010 114 years, 294 days Canada New Hampshire
23 Goldie Steinberg[64] F October 30, 1900 August 16, 2015 114 years, 290 days Moldova[c] New York
24 Delphine Gibson[64] F August 17, 1903 May 9, 2018 114 years, 265 days South Carolina Pennsylvania
25 Neva Morris[64] F August 3, 1895 April 6, 2010 114 years, 246 days Iowa Iowa
26 Blanche Cobb[64] F September 8, 1900 May 1, 2015 114 years, 235 days Georgia Florida
27 Mathew Beard[1] M July 9, 1870 February 16, 1985 114 years, 222 days Virginia Florida
28 Carrie Lazenby[1] F February 9, 1882 September 14, 1996 114 years, 218 days Georgia Illinois
29 Myrtle Dorsey[1] F November 22, 1885 June 25, 2000 114 years, 216 days Ohio Ohio
30 Walter Breuning[64] M September 21, 1896 April 14, 2011 114 years, 205 days Minnesota Montana
31 Eunice Sanborn[64] F July 20, 1896 January 31, 2011 114 years, 195 days Louisiana Texas
32 Grace Clawson[1] F November 15, 1887 May 28, 2002 114 years, 194 days United Kingdom New York
33 Wilhelmina Kott[1] F March 7, 1880 September 6, 1994 114 years, 183 days Illinois Illinois
Adelina Domingues[1] F February 19, 1888 August 21, 2002 114 years, 183 days Cape Verde[d] California
35 Charlotte Benkner[1] F November 26, 1889 May 14, 2004 114 years, 170 days Germany Ohio
36 Ettie Mae Greene[1] F September 8, 1877 February 26, 1992 114 years, 171 days West Virginia West Virginia
37 Dominga Velasco[64] F May 12, 1901 October 11, 2015 114 years, 152 days Mexico California
38 Irene Frank[1] F October 1, 1881 February 28, 1996 114 years, 150 days Texas Missouri
39 Olivia Patricia Thomas[64] F June 29, 1895 November 16, 2009 114 years, 140 days Iowa New York
40 Anna Henderson[64] F March 5, 1900 July 1, 2014 114 years, 118 days Georgia Pennsylvania
41 Emma Verona Johnston[1] F August 6, 1890 December 1, 2004 114 years, 117 days Iowa Ohio
Mamie Rearden[1] F September 7, 1898 January 2, 2013 114 years, 117 days South Carolina Georgia
43 Bettie Chatmon[1] F April 30, 1884 August 16, 1998 114 years, 108 days Louisiana Texas
Lessie Brown[2] F September 22, 1904 January 8, 2019 114 years, 108 days Georgia Ohio
45 Odie Matthews[1] F December 28, 1878 April 14, 1993 114 years, 107 days Texas Arizona
46 Florence Knapp[1] F October 10, 1873 January 11, 1988 114 years, 93 days Pennsylvania Pennsylvania
Elena Slough[1] F July 4, 1889 October 5, 2003 114 years, 93 days Pennsylvania New Jersey
48 Mary Anna Boone[1] F February 10, 1887 May 13, 2001 114 years, 92 days Kentucky Kentucky
49 Delma Kollar[64] F October 31, 1897 January 24, 2012 114 years, 85 days Kansas Oregon
50 Ila Jones[64] F August 21, 1903 November 10, 2017 114 years, 81 days Georgia Georgia
51 Maggie Renfro[64] F November 14, 1895 January 22, 2010 114 years, 69 days Louisiana Louisiana
52 Emma Tillman[1] F November 22, 1892 January 28, 2007 114 years, 67 days North Carolina Connecticut
Anna Stoehr[64] F October 15, 1900 December 21, 2014 114 years, 67 days Iowa Minnesota
54 Leila Denmark[64] F February 1, 1898 April 1, 2012 114 years, 60 days Georgia Georgia
55 Adele Dunlap[64] F December 12, 1902 February 5, 2017 114 years, 55 days New Jersey New Jersey
56 Naomi Conner[64] F August 30, 1899 October 18, 2013 114 years, 49 days Texas [67] Texas
Ora Holland[64] F December 24, 1900 February 11, 2015 114 years, 49 days Missouri Oklahoma
58 Grace Thaxton[1] F June 18, 1891 July 6, 2005 114 years, 18 days New York Kentucky
59 Soledad Mexia[64] F August 13, 1899 August 30, 2013 114 years, 17 days Mexico California
60 Minnie Ward[1] F November 19, 1885 December 2, 1999 114 years, 13 days Tennessee Massachusetts
61 Arbella Ewing[64] F March 13, 1894 March 22, 2008 114 years, 9 days Texas Texas
62 Catherine Hagel[64] F November 28, 1894 December 6, 2008 114 years, 8 days Minnesota Minnesota
63 Emma Otis[64] F October 22, 1901 October 25, 2015 114 years, 3 days Washington Washington
64 Fred Hale[1] M December 1, 1890 November 19, 2004 113 years, 354 days Maine New York
65 Miriam Carpelan[1] F July 8, 1882 June 22, 1996 113 years, 350 days United Kingdom California
Elsie Thompson[64] F April 5, 1899 March 21, 2013 113 years, 350 days Pennsylvania Florida
67 Bertha Fry[1] F December 1, 1893 November 14, 2007 113 years, 348 days Indiana Indiana
68 Mae Harrington[1] F January 20, 1889 December 29, 2002 113 years, 343 days New York New York
69 Daisey Bailey[64] F March 30, 1896 March 7, 2010 113 years, 342 days Tennessee Michigan
70 Agatha Mitchell[1] F March 26, 1887 February 25, 2001 113 years, 336 days Virginia Virginia
71 Goldie Michelson[64] F August 8, 1902 July 8, 2016 113 years, 335 days Ukraine[e] Massachusetts
72 Merle Barwis[64] F December 23, 1900 November 22, 2014 113 years, 334 days Iowa Canada
73 Clara Huhn[1] F January 28, 1887 December 20, 2000 113 years, 327 days Nebraska California
74 Corinne Dixon Taylor[1] F April 2, 1893 February 14, 2007 113 years, 318 days District of Columbia District of Columbia
75 Mary Christian[1] F June 12, 1889 April 20, 2003 113 years, 312 days Massachusetts California
76 Ruth Newman[64] F September 23, 1901 July 29, 2015 113 years, 309 days California California
77 Evelyn Kozak[64] F August 14, 1899 June 11, 2013 113 years, 301 days New York New York
78 Louisiana Hines[64] F April 13, 1899 February 1, 2013 113 years, 294 days Alabama Michigan
79 Mississippi Wynn[64] F March 31, 1897 January 14, 2011 113 years, 289 days Louisiana Louisiana
80 Fannie Thomas[1] F April 14, 1867 January 22, 1981 113 years, 283 days Illinois California
81 Opal Thompson[64] F January 13, 1901 October 20, 2014 113 years, 280 days Oklahoma California
82 Johnson Parks[1] M October 15, 1884 July 17, 1998 113 years, 275 days Georgia Florida
83 Mary Parr[1] F January 29, 1889 October 29, 2002 113 years, 273 days Indiana Florida
84 Beatrice Farve[64] F April 30, 1895 January 19, 2009 113 years, 264 days Georgia Georgia
85 Amalia Barone[1] F October 6, 1884 June 26, 1998 113 years, 263 days Italy Connecticut
86 Zora Wriggle[1] F February 24, 1880 November 7, 1993 113 years, 256 days Pennsylvania Pennsylvania
87 John Ingram McMorran[1] M June 19, 1889 February 24, 2003 113 years, 250 days Michigan Florida
88 Mary McKinney[1] F May 30, 1873 February 2, 1987 113 years, 248 days California California
89 Ella Schuler[64] F September 5, 1897 May 7, 2011 113 years, 244 days Nebraska Kansas
90 Gladys Swetland[1] F April 18, 1892 December 14, 2005 113 years, 240 days Pennsylvania Pennsylvania
91 Meta Dishman[64] F June 1, 1903 January 20, 2017 113 years, 233 days Virginia Virginia
92 Mary Randall[1] F April 1, 1887 November 12, 2000 113 years, 225 days Arkansas Texas
93 Alelia Murphy[2] F July 6, 1905 Living 113 years, 219 days North Carolina New York
94 Delina Filkins[1] F May 4, 1815 December 4, 1928 113 years, 214 days New York New York
95 Mary Kelly[1] F June 7, 1851 December 30, 1964 113 years, 206 days Michigan California
96 Nelle Hunt[1] F July 28, 1887 February 8, 2001 113 years, 195 days Missouri Missouri
Helen Stetter[1] F November 18, 1893 June 1, 2007 113 years, 195 days Nebraska Nebraska
98 Carrie Hardrick[1] F November 6, 1887 May 14, 2001 113 years, 189 days Texas Texas
99 Mamie Eva Keith[1] F March 22, 1873 September 20, 1986 113 years, 182 days Illinois Illinois
100 Hester Ford[2] F August 15, 1905 Living 113 years, 179 days South Carolina North Carolina

Biographies[edit]

Ann Pouder[edit]

Ann Pouder on her 110th birthday; photograph from June 1919 National Geographic Magazine

Ann Pouder (April 8, 1807 – July 10, 1917) was one of the first modernly recognized supercentenarians. Her age at death was 110 years, 93 days.[68] When Pouder was twelve years old, her family emigrated to the United States, making her British American. There she lived the following 98 years of her life in Baltimore, Maryland. She married Nepalese American Alexander Pouder, although became a widow very early and had no children. Her extreme longevity claim was certified by Alexander Graham Bell.[69] In her last few months, she was bedridden, blind, and almost deaf, but her mind remained sharp.[70]

Lucy Hannah[edit]

Lucy Hannah (née Terrell;[71] July 16, 1875 (August 12, 1895?) – March 21, 1993) was an African American supercentenarian. Hannah was the second-oldest person from the United States and the world's fourth-oldest verified person, after Jeanne Calment, Sarah Knauss and Nabi Tajima. She was also the oldest person never to have held the title of the world's oldest living person, since Jeanne Calment, who was about five months older, was still alive at the time of Hannah's death.[72]

Before her death, Hannah claimed to be 118, but investigation by the Social Security Administration's "Kestenbaum" study in 2003 that her age at death was actually 117 years, 248 days.[72]

At the time of her death in March 1993, Hannah was recognized as the oldest American ever and second oldest person ever whose age has been verified, behind only Jeanne Calment. However, Shigechiyo Izumi was still believed to be older at the time of Hannah's death.[71][73]Izumi’s record was withdrawn by Guinness World Records in 2010.

Mary Bidwell[edit]

Mary Electa Bidwell (May 19, 1881– April 25, 1996)[74] was an American supercentenarian. She died at age 114 years, 342 days on April 25, 1996. She is the oldest person on record ever to die in Connecticut.[75][76][77]

Her parents were Charles Woodruff Bidwell and Alice Beach Nobel.[76] She was a descendant of John Bidwell, one of the founders of Hartford, Connecticut. Bidwell worked as a teacher in a one-room school house for six years. She married Charles Hubbell Bidwell, a distant cousin, in 1906.[75] Bidwell lived on her own in North Haven, Connecticut, until she was 110. Bidwell died at the Arden House, a nursing home in Hamden, Connecticut.[74][77]

Maggie Barnes[edit]

Maggie Pauline Barnes (née Hinnant; March 6, 1882 – January 19, 1998)[78] was an American supercentenarian. She was a resident of Johnston County, North Carolina. Barnes died from complications following a minor foot infection.[79] Barnes, who was born to a former slave and married a tenant farmer, was survived by four of her fifteen children.[79]

Some dispute exists as to her date of birth. Though the 1882 date is written in the family's bible, the 1900 US Census lists her as having been born in 1881, and her marriage license says she was born in 1880.[79] Authenticating to the latest of those dates, Barnes was 115 years, 319 days old when she died.

Charlotte Benkner[edit]

Charlotte Benkner (née Enterlein; November 16, 1889 – May 14, 2004)[80][81][82][83] was an American supercentenarian and the oldest verified living person from Mitoyo Kawate's death in 2003 until sufficient documentation was found to validate the age of Ramona Trinidad Iglesias-Jordan of Puerto Rico in March 2004.[80] The subsequent recognition of María Capovilla of Ecuador in December 2005 placed Benkner at third oldest at the time of her death.[81][82]

Benkner was born in Leipzig, Germany, and emigrated to the U.S. in 1896. She grew up in Peekskill, New York, where her family ran the Albert Hotel, and as a young woman once met then President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt.[83][84] On her 1908 marriage to Karl Benkner, she moved west, living in Pennsylvania and Ohio before retiring to Arizona. Already a supercentenarian and the oldest person in Arizona, Benkner returned to Ohio to live in North Lima.[83] She became the oldest recognized person in the United States when 114-year-old Elena Slough died in October 2003.[85] She lived with her sister Tillie O'Hare (the youngest of the siblings), whom she once cared for when their parents were running the hotel, until Tillie (born February 15, 1904) died, just three weeks shy of becoming a centenarian, on January 25, 2004.[84] Benkner survived her sister by only four months, dying at age 114 years 180 days after she was briefly hospitalized in Youngstown, Ohio, and was buried in Peekskill.[80][81]

Emma Verona Johnston[edit]

Emma Verona Johnston (née Calhoun; August 6, 1890 – December 1, 2004) was an American supercentenarian who was born in Indianola, Iowa to a large family.[86] She graduated from Drake University in the Class of 1912 and went on to work as a Latin teacher before her marriage to ophthalmologist Harry Johnston;[87][88][89] at the time of her death, she was the University's oldest living graduate.[87]

At age 98, she moved from Iowa to Ohio in order to live with her daughter and son-in-law. She continued to be in good health even after turning 110, still being able to walk up steps, and was also alert and able to engage in conversations.[90] She became the "oldest living American" when Charlotte Benkner died on May 14, 2004. Shortly afterwards, on the occasion of her 114th birthday, she was presented with a proclamation signed by Drake University President David Maxwell.[91] The University's Vice President for Institutional Advancement, John Willey, had nominated her for an honorary degree, arguing that she "has given new dimension to the Drake ideal of a lifelong learner, and in the integrity of her life, she has affirmed Drake's enduring mission of shaping thoughtful people to be citizens engaged with their times."[89] Johnston died in Worthington, Ohio on December 1, 2004,[86] at age 114 years, 117 days.

Bettie Wilson[edit]

Bettie Antry Wilson (née Rutherford; September 13, 1890 – February 13, 2006)[92] was thought to be the oldest verified living person in the United States upon the death of 114-year-old Emma Verona Johnston on December 1, 2004 until the subsequent verification of Elizabeth Bolden. Both were born in the rural South—where they lived less than 100 miles apart.

Born of freed slaves, Solomon and Delia Rutherford, she is the oldest resident of the state of Mississippi ever recorded (the previous record was 113 years, 12 days set in 1994). In late April 2005, Wilson moved into a new home funded by donations. Wilson celebrated her 115th birthday in September 2005, at which time she ranked as the third-oldest living person in the world. Wilson died at her New Albany home on February 13, 2006, aged 115 years, 153 days. She was survived by her son, five grandchildren, 46 great-grandchildren, 95 great-great-grandchildren and 38 great-great-great grandchildren.[92]

George Francis[edit]

George Rene Francis (June 6, 1896 – December 27, 2008)[93][94][95] was an American supercentenarian and the joint second-oldest living man in the world, together with Englishman Henry Allingham, also born on June 6, 1896, until Francis's death aged 112 years, 204 days. He was also the oldest living man in the United States, following the death of Antonio Pierro on February 8, 2007. Francis was from New Orleans, Louisiana, but since 1949 lived in Sacramento, California, where a local newspaper published a poem that Francis enjoyed reciting to friends and the public throughout his life.[96] He credited his longevity to nature, and enjoyed a rich diet of pork, eggs, milk and lard. He gave up smoking cigars at the age of 75.[97]

Francis attempted to join the army in World War I but was rejected for service in 1918 as being too short and small (he weighed only about 100 pounds (45.35 kg)). Despite this, he later was a boxer before becoming a barber and then a chauffeur.[93]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Holtz was born in the Province of Posen, which was a part of the German Empire at the time of her birth. Today, this area is a part of Poland.
  2. ^ Residents of Puerto Rico born on or after 25 April 1898 are United States citizens.[65]
  3. ^ Steinberg was born in Kishinev, which had then been a part of the Russian Empire; it is now located in Moldova
  4. ^ Domingues was born in Cape Verde, which was at that time a Portuguese colony. Now it is an independent country.
  5. ^ Michelson was born in a part of Ukraine, which was then part of the Russian Empire.

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