Claim: Photo shows the world’s oldest person, an African man who just celebrated his 146th birthday.
AP Rating: Wrong. The person pictured in the photo on the social media post is from Kenya and he is not a man named Mzee John Kiplagat as the post claims.of Images up to 2016 It depicts Saparman Sodimeho, an Indonesian man who allegedly died at the age of 146, according to the photographer who took the image. However, Sodimejo’s true age has never been independently confirmed, and a spokesperson for Guinness World Records confirmed that neither Kiplagat nor Sodimejo holds the record for the oldest person or oldest man.
FACT: A social media user wished a man on his alleged 146th birthday a happy new year.
Many of the posts featured a collage of photos of a slim older man in a blue shirt and black shorts and a birthday cake topped with number candles forming “146.”
“Oldest man. Born in 1876. He just celebrated his 146th anniversary on earth a few days ago. Meet Mzee John Kiplagat,” he wrote in a post that had more than 6,700 likes as of Thursday. , one user wrote on Instagram.
“Happy Birthday Musee,” a Facebook user wrote in a post containing a photo that was liked or shared more than 116,000 times.
But the photo is not of Kiplagat, but of Sodimejo, said Donal Husni, a photographer from Jakarta who took the picture.
Husni confirmed in an email to The Associated Press on Thursday that he took the image on Dec. 31, 2016. This was when his Sodimejo, also nicknamed Mbah Gotho, or “Grandpa Gotho”, commemorated what his family claimed was his 146th birthday. .
At that time, many international news organizations celebration reportwas held in Sodimeho’s hometown in Central Java, Indonesia, and many people used Husni’s photos.
However, the joy did not last long. After just a few months, Sodimeho’s health deteriorated and he was hospitalized. finally died at homeaccording to reports at the time.
But whether Sodimejo really lived to be 146 years old was a secret he took with him to the grave. His Indonesian ID card showed his date of birth as December 31, 1870, but news reports at the time indicated that the country held his birth record until 1900. Independent experts were unable to confirm his age as he did not initiate administration.
“The chances of someone being 146 are extremely small and incredibly unlikely.” Around the world, wrote to the e-mail. “They have to present very strong supporting evidence.”
In fact, neither Sodimejo nor Kiplagat has ever held the title of oldest or oldest person ever, Guinness World Records spokeswoman Kylie Galloway confirmed via email.
Lucille LandonThe 118-year-old woman from France currently holds Guinness World Records and holds the record for the oldest living person and oldest woman. Juan Vicente Perez Mora112 year old from Venezuela.
Jeanne Louise KalmanA 122-year-old woman from France who died in 1997 has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest and oldest woman ever.Jiroemon KimuraA 116-year-old Japanese who died in 2013, he holds the title of the oldest man ever.
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This is part of AP’s efforts to address widely shared misinformation, including working with outside companies and organizations to add facts to misleading content circulating online. . Learn more about Fact Checking in AP.
