111-Year-Old-Man and 103-Year-Old-Doctor Share Secrets To A Long Life
Luis Cano has become quite a celebrity in Linden, New Jersey, where he resides. His family says they noticed that cars often honk in celebration when drivers see his birthday sign on the lawn each year.
That’s because Cano is 111 years old and was ranked the 112th-oldest person in the world by LongeviQuest, an organization that tracks the world’s oldest people.
When asked by Fox 5 New York how he felt about receiving the validation after his most recent birthday, the centenarian simply answered: “Good.”
While Cano ranks among the world’s oldest, the oldest living person in the United States is believed to be 115-year-old Naomi Whitehead, who was born on September 26, 1910, and lives in Greenville, Pennsylvania.
Cano has been interviewed by numerous media outlets and has even received visits from Linden Mayor Derek Armstead, who occasionally stops by to chat with him. In January, Mayor Armstead delivered an official proclamation from the City of Linden honoring his life and achievements.
When Cano is asked about his secret to longevity, he always lists the three key habits that he has practiced for decades (which would make a medical doctor proud):
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• Don’t drink a lot.
• Get good sleep.
• Don’t smoke.
Cano has also maintained a vegetable-rich diet, regularly eating beans, chili peppers, avocados, and onions, all of which health experts say have nutritional benefits.
Cano was born Luis de Jesús Cano Vásquez, in Andes, Antioquia, Colombia, on December 9, 1914, according to LongeviQuest. Cano, who did not receive a formal education, served in the Colombian Army and owned and operated a fleet of buses that transported people through rural areas.
In 1948, he married Alicia Angelo Cano, and the couple went on to have 10 children. Currently, Cano has 11 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
In 1990, Cano and his wife immigrated to Far Rockaway, New York, where they lived with two of their children, according to LongeviQuest. Cano later described living in the United States as the biggest accomplishment of his lifetime. He also acknowledged that family and work were the primary focus of his life.
When his wife, Alicia, died in 2004, Cano moved to Linden to live with two of his children. He enjoyed planting tomatoes, cilantro, and onions, and continued gardening until he was 105, NDTV reported. He also loved playing billiards and bowling, and he liked to fish, even though he never liked eating fish, according to NDTV.
Most of his time is spent at home, looking out the window and watching airplanes pass overhead, one of his favorite pastimes as an airplane enthusiast.
The airplane enthusiast told the media that Cano spends much of his time looking out of his window, watching planes in the air, which he said brings him joy. He also spends time reflecting on “life,” Fox5 New York reported.
When asked what his secret to living a fulfilling life was, Cano answered plainly, “Behave well.”
The Oldest Doctor Ever Shares Tips On Achieving A Fulfilling Life
At 103 years old, Dr. Howard Tucker was named by Guinness World Records as the “Oldest Doctor Ever.” He spent more than 75 years practicing as a neurologist, and only stopped because his hospital closed in 2022. However, the centenarian began working in the medical-legal review area.
If that wasn’t enough, Dr. Tucker wrote an essay for CNBC Make It about how he was able to live a long and meaningful life while staying “happy, sharp, and fulfilled.”
Many people have been asking him for tips about his longevity for years. Sadly, Dr. Tucker died on Dec. 22, 2025, shortly after finishing the essay. His family gave CNBC Make It permission to publish it.
Dr. Tucker wrote that there is no “magic answer” for longevity, since genes, good luck, and other issues are involved. But he presented three important principles that anyone can follow:
1. Keep your mind active
To Dr. Tucker, the mind is much like any other muscle in our bodies. He often reminded his patients that the mind weakens if not used, just as muscles do. Working as a doctor kept him thinking, learning, and solving problems. However, when Dr. Tucker stopped his daily practice with patients, he said that he moved into the medical-legal review area and learned how to use social media. “I’m not looking for an excuse to stop,” he wrote.
When Dr. Tucker was in his early 60s, still practicing medicine full-time, he decided to go to law school. He said he didn’t do it to break a record; he did it only because he was interested in law, and he always believed it was important to keep learning.
Not everyone may be interested in going back to school. However, the doctor suggested that keeping your mind active could involve volunteering, reading, learning a skill, playing music, joining a club, or participating in any activity you enjoy.
“I have seen many people slow down once they stop engaging with the world,” Dr. Tucker wrote. “In my experience, staying mentally active is one of the best things you can do for yourself.”
2. Let go of bitterness
In his long life, Dr. Tucker admitted experiencing disappointment, loss, and unfairness. But there was one thing that he didn’t do because of it: carry it around with him. It didn’t make sense to do that, he said.
“Anger and resentment take energy,” Dr. Tucker wrote. “They take a physical toll. In my view, they do more harm to the person carrying them than to anyone else. Anger can raise your blood pressure, increase stress hormones and increase your risk for heart disease over time. Not to mention the mental energy spent hating someone.”
People do not forget the wrongs done to them, nor do they make excuses for bad behavior. But the doctor advised them not to let the bitterness of those moments take over their lives.
“I have always felt it is healthier to move forward, to stay interested in other people, and to focus your energy on the things that give life meaning,” Dr. Tucker wrote.
3. Enjoy everything in moderation
Some people place restrictions on themselves when it comes to diet, drinking alcohol, and pleasure-related activities. However, Dr. Tucker believed living well does not mean “denying yourself every pleasure.”
In his lifetime, the doctor said he enjoyed a good steak and a martini. Yet, he and Sue, his wife of 68 years, believed in having salad, vegetables, and other foods in moderation.
“To me, moderation is what makes enjoyment possible over the long run,” Dr. Tucker wrote. “Have a sensible approach to what you eat. The same is true in many parts of life. Too much of anything can wear you down. Too little can do the same.”
Source Links:
https://people.com/111-year-old-new-jersey-man-shares-his-3-secrets-to-a-long-life-11957501
https://linden-nj.gov/did-you-know-that-the-oldest-man-in-america-lives-in-linden/
https://longeviquest.com/2025/12/luis-cano-americas-oldest-man-validated-at-111/
https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/at-111-americas-oldest-man-says-these-3-simple-habits-helped-him-live-a-long-life-11411485
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/10/at-103-years-old-im-the-worlds-oldest-doctor-my-3-rules-for-a-long-happy-life-are-simple.html
