Born: September 21, 1896, in Melrose, Montana.
Died: April 14, 2011, of natural causes in Great Falls, Montana. Was the world's oldest man.
Occupation: Railroad worker until his retirement at age 66. Worked as the manager/secretary at his local Shriner's Club until he was 99.
Spouse: Was married to Agnes, a telegraph operator, for 35 years, until her death in 1957. "Second marriages never work," he told
CBS News in 2009. "Even first marriages don't work today."
Known vices: Quit smoking cigars at age 99 because he couldn't afford them. Started again at 108 when he was given some as gifts: "They were $12 cigars," Breuning said, "and they were good."
Secret to long life: Eating less—Breuning had just two meals a day—and keeping the body and mind active. "You keep both busy," he said, "and by God you'll be here a long time."
Words of wisdom: "If people would be more kind to one another, there would be more happiness in the world."
Born: July 20, 1896, in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Died: January 31, 2011, in her sleep in Jacksonville, Texas. Was the world's oldest person.
Occupation: A lifelong homemaker, she was very active in her local Baptist church and sang in the choir.
Spouse: Married three times—outlived each husband.
Secret to long life: Credited her longevity to God and her salvation.
Words of wisdom: "Honey, if you have the Lord Jesus, you don't need anything else."
Born: February 16, 1896, on St. Barth's.
Died: November 4, 2010, of natural causes on St. Barth's. Was the world's oldest living person.
Occupation: Blanchard became a Catholic nun in 1920, adopting the name Sister Cyria, but was known as "Sweets" because she would offer children candy to attend Bible readings.
Known vices: Enjoyed a glass of Champagne, especially on her birthday.
Secret to long life: According to her nephew, Blanchard lived so long because "she had decided to give her virginity to God."
Born: May 10, 1895, in Okinawa, Japan.
Died: May 2, 2010, in Okinawa, Japan. Was the world's oldest living person.
Secret to long life: Though Chinen's family closely guarded her privacy,
Japan has the second-highest number of centenarians in the world, particularly in the Okinawa region. The
Okinawan Centenary Study attributes the low mortality rate to dietary habits, regular exercise, and low stress. According to U.N. projections, Japan's centenarian population is expected to near 1 million by 2050.
Born: June 6, 1896, in Clapton, London.
Died: July 18, 2009, in his sleep in Ovingdean, England. Was the world's oldest man.
Occupation: Allingham was a founding member of the Royal Air Force and the oldest surviving veteran of World War I. Following the war, he became an engineer, designing cars for Ford.
Spouse: Married to wife, Dorothy, for more than 50 years, until her death. They had eight children, five grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, 14 great-great-grandchildren, and one great-great-great-grandchild.
Late-in-life accomplishment: In 2009, Allingham published
Kitchener's Last Volunteer, the story of his remarkable life, featuring an introduction by Prince Charles.
Secret to long life: "Cigarettes, whisky, and wild, wild, women."
Words of wisdom: "War's stupid. Nobody wins," Britain's most famous veteran told the BBC. "You might as well talk first, you have to talk last anyway."
Born: September 18, 1895, in Miyanojo, Japan.
Died: June 9, 2009, of heart failure in Miyanojo, Japan. Was the world's oldest man.
Occupation: Tanabe was a civil land surveyor for most of his life, and then a farmer for more than 30 years.
Spouse: Married to his wife, Suki, until her death at age 92. They had eight children, 25 grandchildren, 52 great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren.
Known vices: Fried shrimp—but he cut back near his 113th birthday because he said wanted to live "10 more years."
Secret to long life: Tanabe ate mostly vegetables, drank milk every day, and believed that not smoking or drinking alcohol was the key to longevity.
Words of wisdom: "I'm happy," he said on his 113th birthday. "I'm well. I eat a lot."
Born: May 28, 1870, in Rajgarh, India.
Died: August 19, 2008, of dysentery in Rajasthan, India. (Was recognized as the world's oldest man by the Limca Book of World Records but not by the Guinness Book because his pension papers showed he was born on May 20, 1878.)
Occupation: Miyan retired from the Jaipur state army in 1938. He was also a clarinet player.
Spouse: Miyan outlived his wife and all five children by more than 70 years.
Late-in-life accomplishment: Became the oldest pilgrim to visit Mecca.
Known vices: Eating meat and drinking several cups of tea a day.
Secret to long life: Had simple meals of daal, rice, and roti, and never smoked or chewed tobacco. "You treat the body well," he said, "the body will treat you well."
Words of wisdom: "May you discuss a party of a rich man, I will not even go to God's house without invitation."
Born: September 10, 1893, in Olival, Portugal
Died: January 2, 2009, in Corujo, Portugal. Was the world's oldest living person.
Occupation: De Jesus worked on her land her entire life and lived at home until her death, reportedly visiting a hospital only once in her 115 years.
Spouse: Was married to her husband, Jose de Santos, for 32 years, until she became a widow at 57. They had six children, 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and six great-great grandchildren.
Late-in-life accomplishment: For her 100th birthday, she tried to learn to read and write.
Known vices: Portuguese rice pudding, ice cream, and sunbathing.
Secret to long life: De Jesus never ate meat, smoked, or drank coffee or alcohol.
Born: April 6, 1894, in Shellman, Georgia.
Died: September 11, 2009, in her sleep in Los Angeles. Was the world's oldest person.
Occupation: Worked as a maid at Ohio State University.
Spouse: Married Sam Conley when she was young and had a daughter, Annabelle, who died of typhoid fever.
Late-in-life accomplishment: The daughter of a former slave, Baines cast a vote in the 2008 presidential election for Barack Obama.
Known vices: Loved crispy bacon, fried chicken, ice cream, and watching
Jerry Springer.
Secret to long life: "She told me that she owes her longevity to the Lord, that she never did drink, she never did smoke, and she never did fool around," Baines' doctor said at her 115th birthday party.
Words of wisdom: "I'm glad I'm here. I don't care if I live a hundred more. I enjoy nothing but eating and sleeping."
