A former sugar cane farmer in Puerto Rico has been confirmed as the world’s oldest man by Guinness World Records, just a few weeks shy of his 113th birthday.
Emilio Flores Márquez was born on August 8, 1908, in Carolina, Puerto Rico, making him 112 years and 326 days old as of Wednesday, when Guinness World Records announced the record.
Growing up, Márquez, who was the second oldest of 11 children, was in charge of many household chores and helped take care of his younger siblings.
As the first-born son, Márquez also helped on his father’s sugar cane farm — starting when he was a young boy — and would water the plants and load cut sugar cane into wagons for transport, according to a news release from Guinness World Records.
“I was the oldest of the children, so I did everything,” Márquez told Guinness World Records. “I scrubbed, I took care of the boys, I did everything.”
