1. Thomas Peter Thorvald Kristian Ferdinand Mortensen, known as Christian Mortensen, was a Danish-American supercentenarian who resided in California.
15 Facts About Christian Mortensen
1. 2.
Christian Mortensen was born to tailor Jens Karl Martinus Mortensen and his wife Maren Therkelsen Thybo in the village of Skarup in Fruering parish near the city of Skanderborg, Denmark, on August 16,1882.
3.
Christian Mortensen began work as a tailor's apprentice in Skanderborg at age 16, in 1898, and later took work as a farmhand.
4.
Christian Mortensen emigrated to Ellis Island in the New York Bay area, the United States in 1903, then aged about 20 or 21 years old.
5.
Christian Mortensen traveled while working as a tailor, but settled in Chicago, where he had relatives.
6.
Christian Mortensen worked various trades, including as a milkman for Borden Dairy Company, as a restaurateur, and as a factory worker for the Continental Can Company.
7.
Christian Mortensen was married for less than ten years, divorced and had no children.
8.
Christian Mortensen claimed he rode his bicycle to the Aldersly Retirement Community, telling the staff that he was there to stay.
9.
Christian Mortensen lived at Aldersly for almost 20 years until his death in 1998.
10.
Christian Mortensen was visited by American scientist James Vaupel and other longevity researchers on the occasion of his 113th birthday.
11.
Christian Mortensen was particularly pleased with a box of Danish cigars that the researchers had brought him.
12.
Christian Mortensen was completely blind towards the end of his life and spent much of his time in bed sleeping or in a wheelchair listening to the radio.
13.
Christian Mortensen showed no signs of major degenerative disease or dementia.
14.
Christian Mortensen enjoyed cigars in moderation and drank lots of water.
15.
Christian Mortensen avoided red meat but was not a vegetarian.