James Henry Brett, Jr.


 * Name: James Henry Brett, Jr.
 * Birth claim: June 25, 1849
 * Documented birth: 1865; Mississippi
 * Died: February 10, 1961; Houston, Texas

He was an American supercentenarian who was the oldest recognized living person from the death of fellow American Martha Graham on June 25, 1959 (apparently his 110th birthday) until his own death. If his birth year is correct, he was the last remaining person of the 1840s. However, in 2006, a 1930 Census entry found by Robert Young called this case into question. A James Henry Brett, Jr., also of Houston, was 65 years old in April 1930, suggesting a birthdate in 1864 instead of 1849. Brett was first included in the 1963 edition of the Guinness Book of Records, for the record of 'oldest person to undergo surgery'. He had a hip operation on November 7, 1960. This record has since been broken more than once including by Jeanne Calment, who had hip surgery at 114 years and 11 months in January 1990, and Bettie Wilson, who had a gallbladder operation at exactly 114 years in September 2005. Source: Wikipedia