View source for Longevity claims

{{Refimprove|date=July 2007}}
'''Longevity claims''' are claims to extreme [[longevity]] (usually 110 or older) that either cannot be verified or for whom only some evidence is available. Longevity claims differ from existing verified [[supercentenarian]] cases, and also from [[longevity myths]] in that either some evidence exists, the case has not been proven false, and/or the claim was not constructed as a result of a longevity myth, which tends to focus on the "village elder" concept, "fountain of youth" concept, nationalist mythology, racial mythology, patriarchal mythology, etc. One test of this is the idea, put forth by [[William Thoms]] in the [[1870s]], of the 100th birthday test: is there evidence of the person claiming to be age 100 some 10 or more years prior to their claim? This test does not prove a person's age (indeed, Susie Brunson passed this test, but later was shown to have exaggerated her age well before this time). However, this test does separate the typical pension-claim longevity exaggeration (which tends to run to about age 115 up to 125) and the "myth of longevity" claim, whereby a spontaneous claim is made that a certain village elder is "150" or "167." E.g.: Bir Narayan Chaudhuri may have claimed to be 141 years old in 1998, but there was no evidence of a 100th birthday party 41 years earlier.

==Problems with the documentation process==

In the transitional period of record-keeping, records tend to exist for the wealthy and upper-middle classes, but are often spotty and non-existent for the poor. In the [[United States]], birth registration did not begin in [[Mississippi]] until 1912 and was not universal until 1933. Hence, there is the problem of many cases whereby no actual birth record exists. Since some were recorded in the census, however, there may be obtainable evidence that tends to support the age claim. Sometimes, however, a single year may be off. In the case of [[Susie Gibson]], for example, the family (and Susie herself) claimed her to be born on [[October 31]], [[1889]], but no birth document has (yet) been located. The earliest record available, the 1900 census, lists her as born in October 1890. Hence, since the 1900 census is a proximate record (not written in 1890), it can be said that there is a near-certainty that Susie was at least 115, and it's still possible that she was in fact 116. In a similar, related case, inconsistent records suggested that [[Maggie Barnes]] was at least 115, but possibly a year older. Documentarians tend to 'err on the side of caution'. Thus, Ms. Barnes claimed to be 117, and was at least 115, but could have been 116.

In some cases a person may just miss the standards required for acceptance. For example, Rosa Williams of [[College Park, Georgia]] died in January 2001, allegedly born in May 1886. The 1910 census listed her as 22, suggesting she was born in May 1887 or May 1888. Hence, we cannot be certain of her age, but some evidence exists to support the claim. This type of case is said to be "partially validated", although she was at least 112, so a supercentenarian regardless.

In another type of case, the only records that exist are late-life documents. Because age inflation often occurs in adulthood (to avoid military service; to apply for a pension early, or because the government began record-keeping during their mid-lifetime), unverified claims also exist. Unverified claims are less likely to be true (because the records are written later), but are still possible. However, because demographic mortality tables show ages above 130 to be extremely unlikely to be true (on the order of trillions to one odds), it would be best to assume that unverified claims to age 130 and above are automatically false, and hence best served by longevity myths. The purpose of longevity claims, then, is to serve as an inventory for the [[grey area]] between validated (certainly true cases) and mythical (cases improbable in the extreme that nonetheless may be accepted as valid under non-scientific discourses, such as religion). For example, [[Hanna Barysevich]] of [[Belarus]], who claimed to have been 118, can neither be verified nor debunked, and the age claim was within the realm of possibility (the maximum proven age being 122). Hence, her case was a longevity claim.

==Lists of longevity claims==

The below lists are meant to show the present and past range of longevity claims, in the grey area between verified and impossible. The lists should be viewed as a spectrum, with the lower ages being more likely to be true and the higher ages less likely to be true.

These lists also serve the purpose of showing the wide range of distribution of extreme claims, which refutes the contention that such claims are particular to only certain "longevity villages". The lists also help to dispel the notion that one claimant should be accepted (without records) while ignoring all the other claims out there (which would also have to be accepted if records weren't required). Finally, because a few of the claims may be true but records do not exist or have not been found, the lists serve the third purpose of categorizing those grey area cases (such as the one of [[Maria Strelnikova]] of [[Russia]]) that could be true, but have not (yet) been proven as such.

===Partially-validated cases (presumed to be living)===
These cases have some evidence of validity, but do not meet the criteria for full validation. F.e.: the person may be listed in the 1930 census or Social Security Death Index (in the U.S.).

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| '''Name'''
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| '''Claimed birth'''
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| '''Alleged age'''
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| '''Residence'''
|-
|Richard Washington
|[[April 13]], [[1893]]
|{{age in years and days|1893|4|13}}
|Darlington, South Carolina, {{USA}}
|-
|Virginia Call
|[[January 4]], [[1894]]
|{{age in years and days|1894|1|4}}
|Illinois, {{USA}}
|}

===Recent claims with no records (presumed to be living)===

These cases have no publicly available early-life records to support them, but have been made in the press. At the very least, the person should have a claimed year, month and day of birth to be listed here. Claims that don't should be listed in the article about longevity myths. Only claims of at least 113 are included here. Note: the current oldest verified living person is [[Edna Parker]] from the United States. 

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| '''Name'''
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| '''Claimed birth'''
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| '''Alleged age'''
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| '''Residence'''
|-
|[[Moloko Temo]]
|[[July 4]], 1874
|{{age in years and days|1874|7|4}}
|{{flag|South Africa}}
|-
|[[Habib Miyan]]
|[[22 May]], 1878
|{{age in years and days|1878|5|22}}
|{{flag|India}}
|-
|[[Maria Olivia da Silva]]
|[[28 February]], 1880
|{{age in years and days|1880|2|28}}
|{{flag|Brazil}}
|-
|Tsunyelo Dora Muzila
|[[4 May]], 1880
|{{age in years and days|1880|5|4}}
|{{flag|South Africa}}
|-
|[[Du Pinhua]]
|[[22 April]], 1886
|{{age in years and days|1886|4|22}}
|{{flag|China}}
|-
|[[Alberto Yoip]]
|[[12 May]], 1886
|{{age in years and days|1886|5|12}}
|{{flag|Cuba}}
|-
|Noninji Elizabeth Bete
|[[21 May]], 1886
|{{age in years and days|1886|5|21}}
|{{flag|South Africa}}
|-
|Ida Stewart
|[[5 November]], 1886
|{{age in years and days|1886|11|5}}
|{{flag|Jamaica}}
|-
|[[Józef Piotrowski (organist)]]
|[[7 September]], 1887
|{{age in years and days|1887|9|7}}
|{{flag|Poland}}
|-
|Józef Buszyło<ref>http://www.kurekmazurski.pl/?art=442</ref><ref>http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Najstarsi_ludzie#Najstarsi_obecnie_.C5.BCyj.C4.85cy_Polacy_.28urodzeni_do_1902_roku.29</ref>
|[[7 October]], 1887
|{{age in years and days|1887|10|7}}
|{{flag|Poland}}
|-
|Pearl Gartrell
|[[1 April]], 1888
|{{age in years and days|1888|4|1}}
|Florida, {{USA}}
|-
|Amelia Costa dos Santos
|[[15 May]], 1888
|{{age in years and days|1888|5|15}}
|{{flag|Brazil}}
|-
|[[LaJean Smith]]
|[[23 June]], 1889 
|{{age in years and days|1889|6|23}}
|Arkansas, {{USA}}
|-
|Floripes Luzia Damasio
|[[13 December]], 1889
|{{age in years and days|1889|12|13}}
|{{flag|Brazil}}
|-
|Clara MacLeash
|[[1 January]], 1890
|{{age in years and days|1890|1|1}}
|{{flag|Jamaica}}
|-
|Pa Igboezu Asoegwu
|[[20 April]], 1890
|{{age in years and days|1890|4|20}}
|{{flag|Nigeria}}
|-
|[[Varvara Semennikova]]
|[[10 May]], 1890
|{{age in years and days|1890|5|10}}
|{{flag|Russia}}
|-
|Khabibamal Khamitova
|[[1 July]], 1890
|{{age in years and days|1890|7|1}}
|{{flag|Russia}}
|-
|Baji Safaorva
|[[3 July]], 1890
|{{age in years and days|1890|7|3}}
|{{flag|Azerbaijan}}
|-
|Manuel Alvarez
|[[15 September]], 1890
|{{age in years and days|1890|9|15}}
|{{flag|Cuba}}
|-
|[[Hryhoriy Nestor]]
|[[15 March]], 1891
|{{age in years and days|1891|3|15}}
|{{flag|Ukraine}}
|-
|Sostenes Martinez<ref>http://www.milenio.com/index.php/2007/05/23/71786/</ref>
|[[22 April]], 1891
|{{age in years and days|1891|4|22}}
|{{flag|Mexico}}
|-
|Elias Athanasiades
|[[14 May]], 1891
|{{age in years and days|1891|5|14}}
|{{flag|Greece}} (born in {{flag|Turkey}})
|-
|Clementina Rodriguez Quiros
|[[13 November]], 1891
|{{age in years and days|1891|11|13}}
|{{flag|Panama}}
|-
|Angel Alberto Rengifo Cerqura
|[[31 December]], 1891
|{{age in years and days|1891|12|31}}
|{{flag|Colombia}}
|-
|Rebecca Lanier
|[[24 March]], 1892
|{{age in years and days|1892|3|24}}
|Ohio, {{USA}}
|-
|Carmen Catrileo Hualla
|[[18 July]], 1892
|{{age in years and days|1892|7|18}}
|{{flag|Chile}}
|-
|Marie Ribet Davis
|[[10 December]], 1892
|{{age in years and days|1892|12|10}}
|{{flag|Cuba}}
|-
|Elizabeth Johnson
|[[25 December]], 1892
|{{age in years and days|1892|12|25}}
|Mississippi, {{USA}}
|-
|Ellen Spencer
|[[3 January]], 1893
|{{age in years and days|1893|1|3}}
|{{flag|Jamaica}}
|-
|Lu Zijian<ref>http://f1.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/8O7ZRsXvOz6G_-MWXPGcPYmNvHlf7ta17FgPQvGPZ_THm4j6O8b3gep3A6OPyXJQgTDapkiZ5mSNBOBKnV67/SupercentenarianLuZijian_ChineseDailyNews20070901.pdf</ref>
|[[15 October]], 1893
|{{age in years and days|1893|10|15}}
|{{flag|China}}
|}

===Limbo cases (no updates within at least two years)===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| '''Name'''
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| '''Claimed birth'''
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| '''Residence'''
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| '''Notes'''
|-
|Feime Hassanoba
|April 1879?
|{{flag|Bulgaria}}
|Last known to be living in April 1999 at the alleged age of 120.
|-
|Goshada Tsallaeva
|[[15 November]], 1886?
|{{flag|Russia}}
|Last known to be living in November 2002 at the alleged age of 116.
|-
|Marfa Salaikijskaja
|[[10 September]], 1889?
|Vilnius, {{flag|Lithuania}}
|Celebrated her 115th birthday in Sept. 2004, no updates since then.
|-
|[[Maria Strelnikova]]
|[[14 March]], 1890?
|{{flag|Russia}}
|115th birthday story in March 2005, no updates since then.
|}

===Longevity claims of the past (116+)===

Note: only claims with a claimed birth and death date, and an age between 115 and 130 are included. For this article, claims above 130 are considered to be longevity myths. Disproven claims should also be listed in longevity myths. This list here represents the 'grey' area of cases on the cusp of believability.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| '''Name'''
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| '''Claimed birth'''
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| '''Death'''
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| '''Alleged age'''
| bgcolor="#C0C0C0"| '''Country'''
|-
|[[Maria Do Carmo Geronimo]]<ref>Maria Do Carmo Geronimo claimed to have been the last Brazilian slave. [http://smupo.achjoj.info/ciekawostki_o_izaurze]</ref>
|March 5, 1871?
|July 14, 2000
|129 years 101 days
|{{flag|Brazil}}
|-
|[[Mary Ewen]]<ref>http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20070501/lead/lead10.html</ref>
|May 5 1878?
|April 10 2007
|128 years 340 days
|{{flag|Jamaica}}
|-
|[[Cruz Hernández]]
|May 3, 1878?
|March 8, 2007
|128 years 309 days
|{{flag|El Salvador}}
|-
|[[Elizabeth Israel]]
|January 27 1875?
|October 14 2003
|128 years 260 days
|{{flag|Dominica}}
|-
|[[Swami Kalyandev|Swami Kalyan Dev]]
|June 26 1876?
|July 12, 2004
|128 years 16 days
|{{flag|India}}
|-
|[[Benito Martínez|Benito Martínez Abrogán]]
|June 19 1880?
|October 11 2006
|126 years 114 days
|{{flag|Haiti}}/{{flag|Cuba}}
|-
|Jackson Pollard<ref>Jackson Pollard claimed to be 128 years old; his [[Social Security (United States)|Social Security]] record stated 125.</ref>
|Dec 15 1869?
|Oct 25 1995
|125
|Georgia {{USA}}
|-
|Juan Ramos
|June 24 1880?
|Jan 24 2006
|125 years 214 days
|{{flag|Cuba}}-{{flag|USA}}
|-
|Abewara Grace
|Aug 16 1878?
|Jan 18 2004
|125 years 155 days
|{{flag|Ghana}}
|-
|[[Alberta Davis]]
|Dec 24 1881?
|Jan 27 2007
|125 years 34 days
|Georgia {{USA}}
|-
|Anna Visser
|Dec 25 1878?
|Jan 8 2004
|125 years 14 days
|{{flag|Namibia}}
|-
|Augusta Watts
|Aug 15 1876?
|July 9 2001
|124 years 328 days 
|Florida {{USA}}
|-
|Maria Etelvina dos Santos
|July 15 1878?
|Mar 8 2003
|124 years 236 days 
|{{flag|Brazil}}
|-
|Armando Frid
|May 24 1866?
|July 28 1990
|124 years 65 days 
|{{flag|Argentina}}
|-
|Ana Martinha da Silva
|Aug 27 1880?
|July 27 2004
|123 years 337 days 
|{{flag|Brazil}}
|-
|Arthur Reed<ref>Arthur Reed claimed to have been the last United States slave.</ref>
|June 28 1860?
|Apr 15 1984
|123 years 292 days
|South Carolina {{USA}}
|-
|Hava Rexha
|Aug 14 1880?
|Nov 8 2003
|123 years 86 days
|{{flag|Albania}}
|-
|Mark Thrash<ref>Mark Thrash was listed as 77 in the 1900 United States Census.</ref>
|Dec 25 1820?
|Dec 17 1943
|122 years 357 days
|South Carolina {{USA}}
|-
|[[Oberia Coffin]]
|Dec 1 1883?
|Oct 18 2006
|122 years 321 days
|Texas {{USA}}
|-
|Dora Jacobs
|May 6 1880?
|Jan 19 2003
|122 years 258 days
|{{flag|South Africa}}
|-
|Mamie Evans
|July 2, 1872?
|Jan 15 1995
|122 years 197 days
|North Carolina {{USA}}
|-
|David Peterson
|Nov 22 1850?
|May 31 1973
|122 years 190 days
|Texas {{USA}}
|-
|Sarah Hoover
|June 25 1874?
|Dec 15 1996
|122 years 173 days
|Texas {{USA}}
|-
|Lich Nguyen
|Dec 4 1876?
|Dec 11 1998
|122 years 7 days
|{{flag|Vietnam}}/{{USA}} (died USA)
|-
|Mary Duckworth
|June 4 1861?
|Apr 19 1983
|121 years 319 days
|Mississippi {{USA}}
|-
|William DuBerry
|Feb 7 1870?
|Nov 14 1991
|121 years 279 days
|South Carolina {{USA}}
|-
|[[Annibal Camoux]]
|1638?
|1759
|121 years
|{{flag|France}}
|-
|Fred Greenwell
|Jan 26 1880?
|Jan 22 2001
|120 years 362 days
|Tennessee {{USA}}
|-
|Atidje Starkova
|May 12 1875?
|Jan 24 1996
|120 years 257 days
|{{flag|Bulgaria}}
|-
|Ruperto Hernandez<ref>http://www.elnuevodiario.com.ni/2007/08/12/nacionales/560946</ref>
|[[13 June]], 1887?
|[[August 10]], 2007
|120 years 58 days
|{{flag|Nicaragua}}
|-
|Li Cairong
|Nov 12 1885?
|May 10 2005
|119 years 178 days
|{{flag|China}}
|-
|[[Emma Bodie Begay]]
|Nov 3 1887?
|April 6 2007
|119 years 154 days
|Gallup, New Mexico {{USA}}
|-
|[[Hanna Barysevich]]
|May 18 1888?
|Feb 23 2007
|118 years 281 days
|{{flag|Belarus}}
|-
|Dominga Pantoja Nique<ref>http://www.elcomercioperu.com.pe/EdicionImpresa/Html/2007-02-15/ImEcNacional0671400.html</ref>
|May 11 1889?
|Feb 14 2007
|117 years 279 days
|{{flag|Peru}}
|-
|[[Maria Andersson]]
|Dec 24 1828?
|Aug 24 1946
|117 years 243 days
|{{flag|Finland}}
|-
|Li Ada
|Apr 11 1889?
|Sept 27? 2006
|117 169?
|{{flag|China}}
|-
|Katie Bruce<ref>http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/0FF07C69D16966558625731D00119049?OpenDocument</ref>
|Mar 11 1890?
|July 16 2007
|117 years 127 days
|Mississippi/Missouri {{USA}}
|-
|Nellie Chee<ref>Nellie Chee was a [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]].</ref>
|Oct 15 1889?
|Nov 14 2006
|117 years 30 days
|New Mexico {{USA}}
|-
|Anton Adner<ref>http://www.berchtesgadener-anzeiger.de/includes/mehr.php?id=2224</ref><ref>http://www.bayerische-staatszeitung.de/index.jsp?MenuID=33&year=2005&ausgabeID=207&rubrikID=9&artikelID=2265</ref>
|1705?
|1822
|117 years
|Bavaria, {{flag|Germany}}
|-
|Amanda Aguilar<ref>http://www.presidencia.gob.ni/noticiaAmandaAguilar_140207.html</ref>
|May 3 1890?
|Feb 14 2007
|116 years 287 days
|{{flag|Nicaragua}}
|-
|Nils Ohrberg
|Jan 10 1700?
|Oct 12 1816
|116 years 276 days
|{{flag|Sweden}}
|-
|Minnie Lee Nave
|Aug 15 1890?
|Nov 21 2006
|116 years 98 days
|Mississippi (USA){{USA}}
|-
|[[Paweł Parniak]]
|Feb 27 1890?
|Mar 27 2006
|116 years 28 days
|{{flag|Poland}}
|-
|Franz Josef Eder<ref>http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/de/default.aspx</ref>
|1794?
|May 05 1911
|116 years
|{{flag|Germany}}
|}

==False and exaggerated claims (living)==

These are claims that have been shown to be exaggerated:

* Rosa Brown of Pleasantville, New Jersey alleged to be born Mar 15, 1890; now said born in 1901

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==

* The idea of the demographic transition of longevity claims can be found in books published by the [[Max Planck]] Institute for Demographic Research at [http://www.demogr.mpg.de/].
* Lists and further discussion of cases may be found at [http://www.grg.org/] or [http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Worlds_Oldest_People/].

{{longevity}}

[[Category:Demography]]
[[Category:Lists of people by age]]
[[Category:Longevity claims| ]]
[[Category:Supercentenarians|*Longevity claims]]

[[no:Verdens eldste personer]]