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World's oldest man dies at 114
Reuters ^
| 3-6-04
| Emma Ross-Thomas
Posted on 03/06/2004 8:26:57 AM PST by Indy Pendance
MADRID (Reuters) - A retired Spanish shoemaker born in the same year as Adolf Hitler and officially the world's oldest man has died at his home at the age of 114, his family says.
Guinness World Records recognised Joan Riudavets Moll as the world's oldest man following the death of Japan's Yukichi Chuganji, also 114, in September.
Riudavets, who attributed his longevity to a life of moderation, was born on December 15, 1889 -- the year Hitler and Charlie Chaplin were born and the year the Eiffel Tower was completed.
He had been retired for half a century.
He died at home in Es Migjorn Gran on the Spanish Mediterranean island of Menorca on Friday night, a police spokesman there said.
"I spoke to him a few days ago and he had all his faculties," the spokesman said on Saturday. "He spoke and reasoned perfectly well without any problems. It was a natural death; he had not been ill."
Riudavets' grandson said he was still taking walks at the end of his life and was always surrounded by friends.
"He nearly always had people around him and he had a great gift for words," his eldest grandson, Pablo, told Reuters. "There were a lot of anecdotes."
Riudavets, who joined the family shoe-making business and retired in 1954, lived to see huge advances in medicine and science, but he never stopped marvelling at inventions like the aeroplane -- first flown when he was a teenager -- and electricity.
"The aeroplane was something incredible, but the most important change was electricity -- without doubt, it changed everything," the Guinness Web site quoted him as saying.
He attributed his long life to doing everything in moderation, including smoking "but not too much". He used to sleep up to 14 hours a day but also enjoyed playing football and the guitar.
Trini Pinto Alvarez, who lives in the village, said: "He was a shoemaker, he worked hard, had a good life... Everybody knew him. When he had birthdays, the village threw fiestas."
TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: obituary; pufflist
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Menorca
2
posted on
03/06/2004 8:38:27 AM PST
by
Consort
To: Indy Pendance
Must be rough being the oldest person in the world. In the last six months I bet the lead has changed several times. The winner just keeps dying off.
To: vetvetdoug
What an amazing amount of change this man saw. Born at the end of 1889, he saw electricy, phones, cars, planes, socialism, man on the moon, 2 world wars, computers ....
To: Indy Pendance
Since Hitler is alive and well in Argentina, I guess that makes him the oldest living man now.
To: Gordian Blade
Isn't Trotsky with him?
To: Indy Pendance
What is "electricy"?
7
posted on
03/06/2004 8:51:51 AM PST
by
Az Joe
(Veteran against Kerry!)
To: vetvetdoug
I don't know about that. 114 years old, still walking and talking with friends, and no nursing home. Sounds pretty good to me.
8
posted on
03/06/2004 8:51:56 AM PST
by
Cicero
(Marcus Tullius)
To: Az Joe
Why, it's a new invention!
To: SheLion; Gabz; metesky; CSM
He smoked and yet he made it to age 114.
How can that be?????
Does the WHO know about this?
10
posted on
03/06/2004 9:02:56 AM PST
by
Mears
To: Mears; *puff_list; Just another Joe
My, my....another premature smoking related death. Imagine if he had never smoked - he would still be alive and kicking.............
All sarcasm aside, as another poster said - it is amazing the changes in the world this man witnessed.
11
posted on
03/06/2004 9:05:40 AM PST
by
Gabz
(The tobacco industry doesn't pay cigarette taxes - smokers do!)
To: Indy Pendance
"He attributed his long life to doing everything in moderation."I'm so screwed."
12
posted on
03/06/2004 9:11:18 AM PST
by
billorites
(freepo ergo sum)
To: Mears; *puff_list; Just another Joe; Great Dane; Max McGarrity; Madame Dufarge; MeeknMing; ...
He smoked and yet he made it to age 114. Yet the highly paid professional anti-smoker still say he died a "premature death!" heh!
13
posted on
03/06/2004 10:13:48 AM PST
by
SheLion
(Curiosity killed the cat BUT satisfaction brought her back!!!)
To: Az Joe
What is "electricy"?....and who has seen it?
14
posted on
03/06/2004 10:15:23 AM PST
by
breakem
To: vetvetdoug
The winner just keeps dying off. My theory: there's a 100 year old serial killer who wants the title and he's traveling around the world bumping off whoever stands in his way.
15
posted on
03/06/2004 10:17:23 AM PST
by
ClearCase_guy
(You can see it coming like a train on a track.)
To: Indy Pendance
Is it anything like "cobble" tv?
16
posted on
03/06/2004 10:19:34 AM PST
by
Az Joe
(Veteran against Kerry!)
To: Indy Pendance
There was a story recently that he wasn't really 114, but 94. I'll see if I can find it. Maybe someone else will.
17
posted on
03/06/2004 10:21:29 AM PST
by
squidly
(Money is inconvenient for them: give them victuals and an arse-clout, it is enough.)
To: Indy Pendance
What, again????.....it seems like every few weeks the world's oldest man or woman ends up dying. I think we need to appoint a Special Prosecutor, and establish a Congressional committee, to look into this. The Bush administration has some explaining to do.
To: SheLion
Without smoking he may have lived forever. ; )
CG
19
posted on
03/06/2004 2:09:29 PM PST
by
Conspiracy Guy
(The word "Tagline" needs to be added to Free Republic's Spell Check.)
To: SheLion
He attributed his long life to doing everything in moderation, including smoking "but not too much". How can this be? ;-)
20
posted on
03/06/2004 4:21:35 PM PST
by
an amused spectator
(Gotta call 9/11? Who do you want to answer - Officer Bush, or Officer Kerry?)
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