The world's oldest man has died just days before his 113th birthday.
Saturnino de la Fuente Garcia was almost a fortnight away from celebrating another world-record beating year, but the Spaniard has passed away.
His death has been confirmed by Senior Gerontology Consultant Robert Young, who was also responsible for recording Saturnino as the oldest person on Earth in the Guinness Book of World Records.
The supercentenarian took his place in the history books in September last year when he was 112 years and 211 days old, LADBible reports.
He was presented with the award and asked what he thought had kept him alive for so long.
Saturnino said: "A quiet life… and do not hurt anyone."
The world record holder was born all the way back in 1909 on February 11 in Ponte Castro, Leon.
The Spaniard married Antonina Barrio Gutiérrez in 1933 and managed to avoid being enlisted in the 1936 Spanish Civil War because of his short height (he stood at 150cm tall).
A shoemaker, Guinness World Records noted that Saturnino's inability to serve had led him to create a "flourishing" shoemaking business.
The outlet wrote: "That is how El Pepino's (a shorted version for Peña, the name of Saturnino's mother) craftsman skills brought him to create boots for the army and to become a famous artisan in the area."
To stay up to date with all the latest news, make sure you sign up for one of our newsletters here.
He and wife Antonina had eight children together, with his family expanding to 14 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.
Saturnino had a great passion for football and was honoured by his favourite team, Cultural y Deportivo Leonesa, when he turned 110.
The club declared him their oldest supporter.
Hearing the news of his death, the club tweeted: "We're saddened by the death of Saturnino de la Fuente, the oldest man in the world, and will remember him with great affection.
"We share the pain of his loss and we would like to express our condolences to his family and friends."
Source: Read Full Article
