Bir Narayan Chaudhary | |
|---|---|
| वीर नारायण चौधरी | |
| Born | 1856 |
| Died | 20 April 1998 Khanar, Nepal. |
| Nationality | Nepali |
| Occupation | Cattle rancher |
| Known for | Claims of extreme longevity |
Bir Narayan Majhi Chaudhari (Nepali: वीर नारायण चौधरी; 1856? – 20 April 1998) was a Nepali man who claimed to be the oldest person ever. He died at the self-professed age of 141.[1] Bir was unable to substantiate his longevity claims with documentation, and since he did not have a birth certificate The Guinness Book of Records did not identify him as the oldest person in the world.[1]
According to Bir he was born in 1856, the son of a landowner.[2] A cattle rancher in the village of Khanar, near Kathmandu, Chaudhari was purportedly a leader of the first land survey team in the area, conducted in 1888.[3] A smoker throughout his later life, Chaudhari rose to prominence in the mid-1990s when Nepalese television and press began reporting on his claimed advanced age.[2] In 1997, he was honored by Nepal's king Birendra.[1]
Chaudhari had a son and a daughter with his first wife, both of whom predeceased him, and a daughter with his second wife.[2] At the time of his death, in 1998, he had four grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.[1]
- ^ a b c d "Man Dies at Reported Age of 141". Associated Press Archives. AP. 21 April 1998. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
- ^ a b c Thapa, Vijay Jung (15 October 1996). "Being the oldest-ever is a record Bir Naryahan Chaudhary neither wants nor understands". India Today. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
- ^ "Bir Narayan Chaudhary, 141; Nepal's Oldest Man". LA Times. 24 April 1998. Retrieved 12 December 2014.