Emilio Flores Marquez has seen the passage of a century.
It’s intimidating to think about what the world will be like 100 years from now, even more so when you realize that, statistically speaking, most of us won’t live long enough to find out. But there are always those wizened few who, whether through simple luck or concentrated effort, manage to withstand the infinite entropy of time to see the world of tomorrow. Emilio Flores Marquez is one of those wizened few.
As confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Records, Marquez is officially the new oldest living human man on the face of the Earth. Marquez was born on August 8, 1908, in the city Carolina, Puerto Rico, making him 112 years old (and 113 in a couple of months!).
Marquez is the second-oldest of 11 children, and the first-born son of his family. He spent most of his youth helping out on the family farm and taking care of his siblings. In his adult years, he was married to his wife, Andrea Perez, for 75 years until she passed in 2010. He had four children, two of whom currently care for him in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, as well as five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
The Guinness World Records recently confirmed Emilio Flores Marquez (Puerto Rico) as the oldest living person (male). His age is 112 years, 326 days. This breaks the previous record held by Romania's Dumitru Comănescu, who died at 111 years 219 days.https://t.co/xFmJaZEem1 pic.twitter.com/l6VLFJPHZV
— NewsBytes (@NewsBytesApp) July 1, 2021
Marquez has said that his secret to longevity is simple: love. A life full of love and low in anger is the key to a long life. “My father raised me with love, loving everyone. He always told me and my siblings to do good, to share everything with others.”
Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday said that “It’s always an honor to celebrate these remarkable human beings.”
“I am thrilled to feature Sr. Márquez—born, interestingly, on the 8th day of the 8th month in the 8th year of the 20th century!—and bring his fascinating story to the wider public,” Glenday said.
