UK Man is World's Oldest at 113

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World War 1 Veteran Henry Allingham is the world's oldest man following the death of a 113-year-old in Japan, Guinness World Records has confirmed.

Mr Allingham, one of only two surviving WWI veterans in the UK and the last surviving founder member of the RAF, was born on 6 June 1896.

He was born in Clapton, London, and now lives at St Dunstan's Centre for blind ex-service personnel near Brighton.

Tomoji Tanabe died in his sleep at his home in southern Japan, aged 113.

Mr Tanabe was named as the world's oldest man in June 2007 and credited his longevity to drinking a daily glass of milk.

'Taking it in stride'

Mr Allingham's friend and chaperon, Dennis Goodwin, said: "It's staggering. Henry is philosophical."

Mr Allingham, whose life has spanned three centuries and six monarchs, has five grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, 14 great-great grandchildren and one great-great-great grandchild.

WORLD EVENTS SINCE 1896

1898 - Spanish American war

1899 - Boer War

1901 - Queen Victoria dies

1903 - Orville & Wilbur Wrights First Airplane

1905 - Boxer Rebellion in China & Russian Revolution

1906 - San Francisco Earthquake

1908 - Earthquake in Italy Kills 150,000

1909 - Perry Reaches the North Pole

1911 - Mexican Revolution

1912 - Sinking of the Titanic

1914 - WWI begins

1915 - Lusitania is sunk

1917 - Russian Revolution

1918 - Spanish Flu Kills 20 Million

1927 - Talking Movies

1929 - The Wall Street Crash

1936 - First Television broadcast in London

1939 - World War II begins

1945 - First atomic bomb detonated

1953 - Everest climbed for the first time

1963 - President Kennedy assassinated

1969 - Neil Armstrong walks on the Moon

1977 - Death of Elvis Presley

1989 - Fall of the Berlin Wall

1990 - Nelson Mandela freed from prison after 27 years

2008 - US elects first black president

This just a partial list of the major events during Henry Allingham's lifetime. In his 113 years he has truly seen it all.

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