By: Daniel Nardini
Last week, the Village of Ceiba Hueca in Cuba held a large birthday celebration for its oldest resident, Juana Bautista de la Candelaria Rodriguez. The Cuba government gave her an official congradulations on her birthday, and has asked the Guiness Book of World Records to accept her as the oldest living person in the world. Said to have been born on February 2, 1885, this would make her 127 years old. I wrote about this person before. She is considered officially in Cuba as the oldest person living. Now the Cuban government, and indeed the people of Ceiba Hueca, want her to be officially known as the oldest living person in the world. This is where the rub comes in. The Guiness Book of World Records refuses to do this. Why? Well, the only documentation Candelaria has is a certificate, possibly from the 1950’s, but probably before that, stating that she was born on February 2, 1885. Beyond that we have found no other documentation to corroborate her age. Because of this, the Guiness Book of World Records officially recognizes Besse Cooper of Monroe, Georgia, as the oldest living person. Cooper, born on August 26, 1896, is 115 years old.
The Guiness Book of World Records is a firm believer in documentation. They want not only actual birth certificates but also official marriage certificates and also official church records of family members. Many gerontology experts (those who study people over 100) doubt that she could possibly be 127. They note that all those who were verified to have lived over 115 could not walk and could barely see. Jeanne Louise Calmant, the only known verified person who lived past the age of 120 years, could not walk and could not see. Born on February 21, 1875, in Arles, France, she lived to be 122 years old until she died on August 4, 1997. The Guiness Book of World Records meticulously researched her life to make sure she was indeed the oldest verified person who ever lived. This does not mean that the Guiness Book of World Records is always correct. The case of Shigechiyo Izumi is one good example. At first the Guiness Book of World Records accepted a family register that showed Izumi to have been born in 1865, making him 120 years old when he died in 1986. However, it was later shown that Izumi had been given his name from an older brother who was born in 1865 by his family but who died young. Izumi himself was born in 1881—making him 105. After that the Guiness Book of World Records has been very careful on who they certify.
At the same time, I find it disappointing that the Guiness Book of World Records does not look further into the case of Candelaria. Is it really impossible that she might be as old as claimed? Since Cuba was once a Spanish colony when she was supposed to have been born, is it not possible that there might be records in Spain that could verify her age? Are there no church records in Cuba or elsewhere that can verify her age? Personally, I hope that she will be given the chance to prove her age, and that it would indeed not only be a wonderful present for her and her family but for the people of Cuba. Until then, how old she really is may remain a mystery.
Is She Really 127 Years Young?
By: Daniel Nardini
The Guiness Book of World Records is a firm believer in documentation. They want not only actual birth certificates but also official marriage certificates and also official church records of family members. Many gerontology experts (those who study people over 100) doubt that she could possibly be 127. They note that all those who were verified to have lived over 115 could not walk and could barely see. Jeanne Louise Calmant, the only known verified person who lived past the age of 120 years, could not walk and could not see. Born on February 21, 1875, in Arles, France, she lived to be 122 years old until she died on August 4, 1997. The Guiness Book of World Records meticulously researched her life to make sure she was indeed the oldest verified person who ever lived. This does not mean that the Guiness Book of World Records is always correct. The case of Shigechiyo Izumi is one good example. At first the Guiness Book of World Records accepted a family register that showed Izumi to have been born in 1865, making him 120 years old when he died in 1986. However, it was later shown that Izumi had been given his name from an older brother who was born in 1865 by his family but who died young. Izumi himself was born in 1881—making him 105. After that the Guiness Book of World Records has been very careful on who they certify.
At the same time, I find it disappointing that the Guiness Book of World Records does not look further into the case of Candelaria. Is it really impossible that she might be as old as claimed? Since Cuba was once a Spanish colony when she was supposed to have been born, is it not possible that there might be records in Spain that could verify her age? Are there no church records in Cuba or elsewhere that can verify her age? Personally, I hope that she will be given the chance to prove her age, and that it would indeed not only be a wonderful present for her and her family but for the people of Cuba. Until then, how old she really is may remain a mystery.