Why This Man Celebrating His 146th Birthday Might Be the Oldest Person Alive
Officially, the title of the oldest person currently alive is held by Emma Morano, an Italian woman who turned 117 in late November. But an Indonesian man claims to be older by nearly 30 years.
Mbah Gotho, who lives in the Indonesian village of Sragen, reportedly celebrated his 146th birthday on Saturday, according to the Independent. He has outlived not only his four wives and 10 siblings, but also his three children, writes the International Business Times.
Gotho has produced documents stating that he was born on December 31, 1870. Indonesian officials have confirmed the documents are authentic. However, the documents would need to be independently verified in order for Gotho to officially enter the record books. In the meantime, Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who was 122 years old when she passed away in 1997, officially holds the record of the longest-living person in history.
Gotho has claimed he never expected to live this long, having even made arrangements for his own death back in 1992. He has attributed his impressive longevity to patience, but told the Telegraph he was ready to die, now that all his grandchildren are grown up and independent.
Gotho, who lives with his grandson, celebrated his birthday surrounded by family and neighbors. While he is growing frail, he was reportedly still able to blow out all the candles on his cake in one take.
