On 29 December 2024, Eugene Baltes, believed to be the oldest living man in the United States, passed away in River Forest, Illinois, at the age of 110 years and 61 days. At the time of his death, he was the only verified male supercentenarian in the country. Following his passing, the identity of his successor as the nation’s oldest living man remains uncertain. Below are some potential candidates.
Atilio Zepeda Navarrete (born on 25 November 1913?)
(Source: Antelope Valley Press)
A resident of Palmdale, California, he celebrated his claimed 111th birthday on 25 November, as reported by The Antelope Valley Press.
He states that he was born on 25 November 1913, in La Paz, El Salvador. His mother passed away during his childhood, and his father died in the 1930s. From the age of 7 or 8, he worked on the family farm and trained and sold horses. Later in life, he married Roselia, with whom he had seven children. Their marriage lasted 59 years until her passing in 2009.
In 1990, he moved to the United States and settled in Palmdale, California, where he now lives with his daughter, Mariana.
His age has not yet been officially verified or documented. However, if his claimed age proves to be accurate and he is eventually validated, he would retroactively be recognized as the oldest living man in the U.S. since late 2023, surpassing several men born in 1914 who were previously believed to hold the title.
Luis Caño (born in December 1914?)
(Source: Facebook / Linden NJ – City Government)
A resident of Linden, New Jersey, recently celebrated his claimed 110th birthday, an event first reported on the official Facebook page for the City of Linden.
Caño claims that he was born in December 1914. He has lived in Linden for the past 20 years. During his birthday celebration, Mayor Derek Armstead visited him to present a proclamation and a birthday card in his honor.
No documentation verifying his age has been located, so LongeviQuest has not validated his claim yet.
Edwin George Martin (born 15 February 1915)
At the age of 107. (Source: bcofdretirees.com)
Edwin George Martin was born in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, on 15 February 1915. He joined the Baltimore County Fire Department in 1943, dedicating his entire career to the Edgemere station. After retiring in 1964, he relocated to Florida, where he has resided ever since.
His age was validated by LongeviQuest on 8 January 2025, making him the oldest living man in the United States whose age is proven and documented.
Martin is currently recognized as the oldest validated living man in the United States. As of now, there are no validated living male supercentenarians in the country. Martin is approaching his 110th birthday, which will be next month. LongeviQuest is actively investigating to determine if there is anyone older than Martin who has not been publicly reported in the news or fully documented and validated. However, at this moment, Martin remains the oldest living man in the U.S. whose age has been validated by an organization specializing in age verification.
