‘World’s oldest man’ celebrates his ‘121st birthday’ in Brazil

A Brazilian man who claims to be the World’s oldest man has celebrated his 121st birthday with his family after recovering from COVID-19.

Andrelino Vieira da Silva, who lives in the city of Aparecida de Goiania in the Brazilian state of Goias, celebrated turning 121 on February 3.

The father-of-seven marked the occasion during an intimate gathering with family, who live on the same plot of land as him, as they all recovered from Covid-19. 

Mr da Silva, who has 13 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild, was born on February 3, 1901, according to his ID card.

He would be the world’s oldest living person if his age is verified. 

He was married and had seven children, five of whom are still alive.

To mark the milestone age, the retiree celebrated the day with a cake decorated with his first name, his age, and the phrase ‘O terror do INSS’ which translates as ‘the terror of the INSS’.       

INSS is the acronym for Brazil’s National Institute of Social Security who are in charge of pension payments and survivor benefits.

The body, which was set up in 1978 to replace the former National Institute of Social Insurance (INP), are also responsible for collecting contributions for the country’s social security system.

The theme of Mr da Silva’s cake was conceived by his granddaughter, accounting supervisor Janaina Lemes de Souza, 36.  

Ms de Souza said it was a ‘great privilege’ to have her grandfather reach the age of 121 and described how the family ‘valued every moment’.

She told G1: ‘It is a great privilege to have a person of this age in the family to be able to share stories with us. 

‘My daughter has had the opportunity to have a great-grandfather. I did not. We value every moment. He travels, he goes to bars, he does everything.’