Greetings to the New Oldest Man

We mourn the loss today of Tomoji Tanabe, who, until early this morning, was better known as the world's oldest living man.

Tanabe (right) died in his home in southern Japan at 113 years and 274 days old.

Still, in this sadness, we must also greet Henry Allingham who inherits Tanabe's title. Born on June 1896, Allingham has the distinction of having fought for the British in both World Wars. We now add this decorated war veteran to our photo gallery of World Record Holders.

Though both were born in 1895, these two could hardly be more different. Tanabe, a land surveyor, attributed his long life to abstinence from cigarettes and alcohol, and lived a quiet life in southern Japan.

Allingham laughingly describes his great age to a love of "cigarettes, whiskey and wild, wild women." His father died when he was just a baby, and his mother begged him to stay out of the military. Still, he went on to become a founding member of the Royal Air Force.

"War is stupid," Allingham told the BBC. "Nobody wins. You might as well talk first, you have to talk last anyway."

"We're pleased to see an English man take the world record," says Craig Glenday, editor-in-chief of Guinness World Records, on a statement on the Guinness website.

"The last time someone from England held the title was Frederick Butterfield, who died on 9 March 1974, aged 110"

The folks at Guinness have been busy indeed. Just this week they confirmed Alesya Gulevich the new queen of the hula hoops, for simultaneously spinning 107 rings around her waist.

We've also got recent updates on the world's biggest burger (Mallie's 168-lb., $2,000 feast), the world's largest bikini parade (Holly Madison in Vegas, baby!) and the largest serving of meatballs (and it's not Rush Limbaugh).

• New World Records Photo Gallery
• Sandy Allen: Death of the World's Tallest Woman
• A Big-Hearted Giantess
• Meet the World's Tallest Man (Maybe)