MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazilian becomes oldest man alive

Marinho Neto says the key to his longevity was to always be surrounded by people who loved him

Brazil's 112-year-old João Marinho Neto has been confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest man alive following the death on Nov. 25 of Briton John Alfred Tinniswood, who was also 112.

Marinho Neto, a native of Maranguape, in the state of Ceará, officially received his certification from LongeviQuest, an organization specialized in verifying human longevity, which was later shared by the entity in charge of the Guinness World Records. He was born on October 5, 1912.

The son of a family of farmers, he grew up surrounded by nature, learning from a very young age the trades that defined his life: taking care of the cattle and working the land. When he was just four years old, he was already helping his father with the tasks of a farmer.

In his youth, he moved with his family to the rural area of Apuiarés, where he continued the family legacy and grew corn and beans as well as raising cattle, horses, pigs, and chicken.

He married twice. First to Josefa Albano dos Santos (1920-1994), with whom he had four children: Antonio, José, Fátima, and Vanda. After his wife's death, he married Antonia Rodrigues Moura, with whom he had three more children: Vinícius, Jarbas, and Conceição. He currently has six children, 22 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren.

“We extend our heartfelt congratulations to João and his family for this remarkable achievement. We wish him good health and many more years of happiness. His story is an inspiration to people around the world,” said LongeviQuest when asserting that Marinho Neto was 112 years and 52 days old.

He has admitted in several interviews that the secret of his longevity lies in being surrounded by good people, those who have accompanied him throughout his life and who are still close to him, especially his family. He insisted his longevity was “not the product of a secret recipe but of humility, constant work, and the closeness of his loved ones.”

Marinho Neto became the last living man to be born in 1912. The record for documented longevity among men, meanwhile, still belongs to Japan's Jiroemon Kimura (1897-2013), who lived to be 116 years old. Meanwhile, the oldest woman in the world is Tomiko Itooka, also from Japan, born on May 23, 1908.

Tinniswood was born on Aug. 26, 1912, in Liverpool. During World War II he was spared from going to the front given his poor eyesight, due to which he was assigned to administrative duties.