Shirali Muslimov

Supercentenarian

Birthday March 26, 1805

Birth Sign Aries

Birthplace Barzavu, Azerbaijan

DEATH DATE Sep 2, 1973 (168)

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About

Famous for his claim to be the oldest living person in the history of the world, this Azerbaijani shepherd was allegedly 168 years old at the time of his death. His only proof that he was really born in 1805 is his passport. 

Before Fame

He garnered public attention in the early 1960s after being discovered and interviewed by photojournalist Kalman Kaspiev. National Geographic and several other magazines and newspapers subsequently published articles on his lifespan and lifestyle.

Trivia

Because Muslimov's diet was heavy in yogurt products, the Dannon yogurt company mentioned him in an early 1970s advertisement campaign.

Family Life

His family life remains something of a mystery; some reports claim that he had three wives, some of whom also lived past the age of 100, and another account mentions that he fathered a daughter when he was 136 years old.

Associated With

If his claim was accurate, Muslimov lived nearly fifty years longer than Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who was regarded, upon her 1997 death at the age of 122, as the longest-living person in human history.