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| World's oldest man celebrates 146th birthday and says patience is key for long life | World's oldest man celebrates 146th birthday and says patience is key for long life |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| An Indonesian man who claims to be the oldest person ever to have lived has celebrated his 146th birthday. | An Indonesian man who claims to be the oldest person ever to have lived has celebrated his 146th birthday. |
| Mbah Gotho, from a small village in the Central Java province, has documentation that states he was born on 31 December 1870, and the Indonesian records office has said confirmed this was accurate. | Mbah Gotho, from a small village in the Central Java province, has documentation that states he was born on 31 December 1870, and the Indonesian records office has said confirmed this was accurate. |
| If it is correct, this would earn him the title of the oldest person ever, a title currently held by French centenarian Jeanne Calment, who was 122 when she died. | If it is correct, this would earn him the title of the oldest person ever, a title currently held by French centenarian Jeanne Calment, who was 122 when she died. |
| Mr Gotho celebrated the landmark birthday with his grandson, Suryanto, and his wife, Suwarni, having reportedly outlived all 10 of his siblings, his four wives and his children. | |
| During the celebrations, family and neighbours flocked to the modest house to celebrate the occasion, and Mr Gotho was seen grinning as they sang him a birthday song. | During the celebrations, family and neighbours flocked to the modest house to celebrate the occasion, and Mr Gotho was seen grinning as they sang him a birthday song. |
| The elderly Indonesian reportedly managed to blow out all the candles in one puff. | The elderly Indonesian reportedly managed to blow out all the candles in one puff. |
| When previously asked the secret to a long life, Mr Gotho said: “The recipe is just patience”. | When previously asked the secret to a long life, Mr Gotho said: “The recipe is just patience”. |
| He is said to have begun preparing for his death in 1992, even having a gravestone made, but 24 years later he is still alive. | He is said to have begun preparing for his death in 1992, even having a gravestone made, but 24 years later he is still alive. |
| In 2016, he told a regional news network: “What I want is to die”, after he recently started needing to be bathed and spoon-fed, due to increasing frailness. | In 2016, he told a regional news network: “What I want is to die”, after he recently started needing to be bathed and spoon-fed, due to increasing frailness. |
| His grandchildren said the pensioner spends most of his days listening to the radio because his eyesight is too poor to watch TV, according to reports. | His grandchildren said the pensioner spends most of his days listening to the radio because his eyesight is too poor to watch TV, according to reports. |
| There are a number of other people who also claim to have broken Jeanne Calment’s record, but whose ages have not been confirmed. | |
| Nigerian James Olofintuyi has claimed to be 171, while Dhaqabo Ebba from Ethiopia has claimed to be 163, but without verifiable documents they cannot be given her title. | Nigerian James Olofintuyi has claimed to be 171, while Dhaqabo Ebba from Ethiopia has claimed to be 163, but without verifiable documents they cannot be given her title. |