'Unverified' world's oldest man Fredie Blom dies aged 116 in South Africa

The world's oldest man, who was not officially verified by any of the record books, has died at the age of 116. Fredie Blom from South Africa died on August 22 reportedly of natural causes. Blom was born in South Africa's Cape Town in 1904 and witnessed all the major global events of the 20th century, including the 1919 Spanish Flu, World War I, World War II, and the infamous apartheid in his own country. As per reports, Blom was a healthy man and was seen chopping woods until two weeks before his demise by his grandchildren. 

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Blom celebrated his 116th birthday on May 8 but due to government-imposed coronavirus restrictions, he was not able to celebrate it in grand style. Blom was reportedly a regular smoker and during an interview with a media house a few years ago had said that there is no secret to his long life except for god, who decides when to call up somebody or hold them down. Blom worked as a construction worker until he was in his 80s, according to close relatives. 

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World's oldest

South African media described Blom as the world's oldest man but according to the Guinness World Records, the title belongs to one named Jiroemon Kimura from Japan. Kimura was the oldest verified man, who lived for 116 years and 54 days and witnessed three centuries as he was born in 1897 and died in 2013. Meanwhile, Jeanne Calment of France was the oldest person ever whose age was independently verified as he lived for 122 years and 164 days from 1875 to 1997. 

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(Image Credit: @CueSibiya/Twitter)