World’s Oldest Man

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 798, 19 October 1929, Page 18

World’s Oldest Man

Aged 252 Years; Had 24 Wives

NEW claimant has emerged for the title of the world’s oldest man, vacant since Zaga Agha, a Turk, 143 years old, was knocked and killed

by a motor-car early this month. Zaga has been spared the realisation of his comparative youth, for his successor boasts 252 years. - The new title holder is Mr. Li Chiang-yun, a native of Szechuan (China), who has been married 24 times. His present wife is only 60 years old. Zaga had just 12 wives. Mr. Li is still able to get about and to walk a long way; and time has in no way impaired his appetite. No calculation has been made of the

i ' amount of food he must have eaten. !! He is described as having a long chin, , | two big ears, yellow hair, and a white , skin. Born in the 17tli year of the reign of the Emperor Kangshi, Mr. Li carried on a trade in Chinese drugs while he was young. The stories that he tells of this and other activities are of events that happened more than 100 years ago. His status and capabilities will shortly meet with official recognition as he has been invited to Peking by the Dean of the educational department of the Minkuo University. The 259 centenarians in Great Britain now have a good mark to aim at.