Jiroemon Kimura was the last man living who witnessed the 19th century. Born in 1897, the year of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, he was 6 years old when the Wright Brothers showed the world that man can fly, and 11 when Henry Ford introduced the Model T automobile. He lived through two world wars, the reigns of four emperors, the terms of 20 U.S. presidents, and 61 Japanese prime ministers. Along the way, he had five kids, 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and 13 great-great-grandchildren, his family said. And on June 12, at 2:08 a.m., he passed on, in his hometown of Kyotango. He was 116 years and 54 days old.

Mr. Kimura became the oldest person in the world on Dec. 16, 2012. The same month, he became the oldest man in recorded history, surpassing the previous record lifespan of 115 years and 252 days held by Christian Morenson, a Danish-American, who died in 1998. According to Guinness World Records, he was the third man in history to reach the age of 115.

Mr. Kimura started from humble beginnings, born to a farming family in western Japan. After working at local post offices for 45 years until his retirement at the age of 65, in 1962, he helped his son with farming until he was 90.

In 2009, Mr. Kimura told camera crews that he exercises daily, reads newspapers at least two hours a day, and keeps up with parliamentary proceedings. "I've got to keep up with the times," he said.

With his death, his title as the oldest human being living on earth was handed to another Japanese citizen, Misao Okawa. Born on March 5, 1898, the Osaka resident just passed her own 115th birthday.