At the age of 112 years and 326 days old, Emilio Flores Marquez of Puerto Rico has been recognised as the world's oldest living man by the Guinness World Records.
Marquez was born in Carolina, east of the Puerto Rican capital of San Juan on August 8, 1908, and he has worked on his family's sugarcane farm. He is also the second oldest child among 11 siblings. His friends call him Don Milo
He says the secret to his advanced years lay in compassion. He said that his father raised him with love and taught him to love everyone, reported Hindustan Times. "He (Marquez's father) always told me and my brothers and sisters to do good, to share everything with others. Besides, Christ lives in me," he told Guinness.
Marquez has had only three years of formal school education. He started helping his father at the sugarcane farm from a very young age. Along with watering and loading the sugarcane onto wagons for transport, he was also responsible for household chores. As the first-born son, he was in charge of his nine surviving siblings.
Marquez was married to his wife Andrea Perez for 75 years, who passed away in 2010. Their family is of four children, five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Two of his children are still alive and well.
He underwent surgery to implant a pacemaker at the age of 101. He shows remarkable health and strength, except for the loss of hearing. He insists that abundance of love and living without anger is necessary for longevity.
Craig Glenday, Editor-in-Chief at Guinness World Records said that it is always an honour to celebrate remarkable human beings. He added that the organisation processed two applications for the same title this year.
The previous oldest living man recognised by the Guinness World Records is Romania's Dumitru Comanescu, who died on June 27, 2020. He was 111 years and 219 days old. After Comanescu's death, Guinness received evidence that Marquez was born three months earlier.
The oldest person to ever have lived is Jeanne Calment (France), who lived to be 122 years and 164 days. She died on 4 August 1997. The oldest man ever to have lived is Jiroemon Kimura (Japan) who was 116 years old and 54 days. He passed away on 12 June 2013. The oldest living woman is Kane Tanaka (born on 2 January 1903). She is 118 years and 179 days old.