Eilif Philipsen

Eilif Philipsen was a Norwegian farmer known for his longevity: he was the first accurately documented centenarian ever, and was accordingly the oldest verified living person from 1782 to 1785.

Biography

According to church records, Philipsen was born a twin on 21 July 1682, in the village of Kinsarvik, then a part of the Kingdom of Denmark–Norway. His twin sister went by the name of Ingeborg; they were both baptized the same day they were born. In 1701, when the first Norwegian census had been conducted, he was listed as being of 18 years of age, and living with his father and two brothers—10-year-old Jacob, along with 3-year-old Hans.
In 1721, while nearing 40, he married a 22-year-old. Two years later, he was said to have been involved in a court case. In 1727, he inherited a farm that would eventually be given to the husband of his adopted daughter in 1753. In April 1783, he was mentioned in a local vicar's letter to Bolle Willum Luxdorph. His death was recorded to have taken place in Kinsarvik, his hometown, on 20 June 1785—aged 102 years and 334 days.

Controversy

Although the general consensus appears to conclude that he was, in fact, the first documented centenarian, there are a few scholars in academia who beg to differ. For instance, according to the demographer James Vaupel and the epidemiologist Bernard Jeune, Philipsen had been confused with "another member of his family bearing the same name," stating that "we do not have enough knowledge about his relatives to rule this possibility out."