# Has the "world's oldest human" ever been from the United States?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-worlds-oldest-human-ever-been-from-the-united-states/503433
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 18, 2009, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-worlds-oldest-human-ever-been-from-the-united-states/503433 "2009-07-18T14:38:29Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2009, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-worlds-oldest-human-ever-been-from-the-united-states/503433/1 "2009-07-18T14:38:29Z")
[This thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=524957), which is about the world’s oldest man dying at age 113, got me to thinking, has the oldest man or woman alive at any time ever been a resident of the United States? I’ve noticed that these people tend to live in Europe or in Japan, which might say something about the lifestyles we live here in the U.S. (which would be more appropriately discussed in other forums). I’m just curious if the U.S. has ever been able to have the honor of being the home country of the world’s oldest human.
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### Author:  [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2009, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-worlds-oldest-human-ever-been-from-the-united-states/503433/2 "2009-07-18T14:46:11Z")
It must be said, though, that of World’s Oldest Men, Henry had probably the most impressive resumé.
World’s Oldest Women is another matter. [Jeanne Calment](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanne_Calment), besides living to _122_(!!!), got to meet Van Gogh _and_ outlive the guy who was paying her every month to inherit her house.
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### Author:  [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2009, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-worlds-oldest-human-ever-been-from-the-united-states/503433/3 "2009-07-18T15:04:01Z")
A link from the Calment article showing the achievements for longevity seem to indicate that the world’s oldest human being, [Gertrude Baines](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertrude_Baines), currently resides in Los Angeles.
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### Author:  [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2009, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-worlds-oldest-human-ever-been-from-the-united-states/503433/4 "2009-07-18T15:10:53Z")
ETA it seems with Allingham’s death, the title of world’s oldest man falls to [Walter Breuning](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldest_people#National_longevity_recordholders) of Montana.