- 111-year-old New Yorker certified as the oldest man in the world died Sunday
- Alexander Imich was a published author with a doctorate in zoology
- He fled Poland when the Nazis took over, survived labor camp in Russia before moving to the U.S.
- Sakari Momoi, 111, of Japan is now the oldest man in the world
New York (CNN) -- A 111-year-old New Yorker who had been certified as the oldest man in the world has died.
Alexander Imich died Sunday morning at a senior residence in Manhattan, his niece, Karen Bogen, confirmed to CNN.
Imich was certified as the oldest man in the world this April by the Gerontology Research Group of Torrance, California.
"He was remarkable," Bogen said.
Alexander Imich, a New Yorker who had been certified as the world's oldest living man, died Sunday, June 8, at the age of 111. Imich was born in Poland on February 4, 1903, but fled when the Nazis took over in 1939. Despite a doctorate in zoology, Imich's passion was investigating paranormal activity. He detailed his encounters with the supernatural in "Incredible Tales of the Paranormal," a journal that was published when he was 92. 
Fauja Singh is recognized as the first 100-year-old to ever run a marathon. The great-grandfather, now 103, continues to run or walk every day. Nicknamed the "Turbaned Tornado," he took up running to overcome his grief after the death of his wife and a son. He ran his first marathon at age 89. The key to life: "Laughter and happiness," he says. "That's your remedy for everything." 
Ruth Frith died February 28 at the age of 104. At 102, the Australian native was the oldest living competitor at the World Masters Games in Sydney, where she won several gold medals and set world records. Her advice for a long life? Avoid smoking, drinking and vegetables. She was also an optimist: "Every year brings something new. I've always been content with what I have." 
James Sisnett was born on February 22, 1900, in Barbados. He made it to 113. He worked as a blacksmith, a sugar factory worker and a farmer before retiring at age 70. His longevity made him a local celebrity. His only real health challenge toward the end of his life was hearing loss. He died "peacefully in his sleep at home" in May 2013. 
Mississippi Winn was born on March 31, 1897, in Benton, Louisiana, and she lived to be 113. She maintained her independence until age 103; at 105, she was still walking and working out daily at a local track. Winn said exercise and an optimistic attitude helped her stay healthy for most of her life. She worked primarily as a domestic and child caretaker. She died in January 2011. 
Jiroemon Kimura was born April 19, 1897, and died June 12, 2013, at the age of 116. The retired Japanese postman attributed his long life to eating light, working in the sunshine and not smoking. After his postal career, he worked on a farm: "I am always looking up towards the sky; that is how I am." Of his six siblings, five lived to the age of 90. He died of natural causes. 
Jeanne Calment was born on February 21, 1875, and lived to the age of 122 in Arles, France (home of the painter Vincent Van Gogh, whom she met as a little girl). At 85, she took up fencing lessons. At 100, she was still riding her bike. She said she ate more than two pounds of chocolate a week and only quit smoking at age 120 -- not for health reasons, but because she could not see well enough to light her cigarettes. She credited her longevity to port wine, her sense of humor and a diet rich in olive oil. She died in August 1997. 
Ann Nixon Cooper became famous after President-elect Barack Obama used her story on election night 2008 to talk about the country's progress. "She was born just a generation past slavery," Obama said. "At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot." She died in 2009 at age 107. The secret to her long life, she said, was being cheerful: "I've always been a happy person, a giggling person, a wide-mouthed person." She also kept fit, dancing the electric slide until age 103. 
The oldest living woman alive is Misao Okawa, a 116-year-old from Japan. She was born March 5, 1898, and had three children. Her husband died in 1931. She kept in shape throughout much of her life. At 102, she said she did leg squats to keep healthy. She didn't start using a wheelchair until she turned 110. She currently lives in a nursing home. 
Edward Rondthaler was born on June 9, 1905, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and he died in 2009 at the age of 104. He was a noted typographer, earning a national reputation for helping to usher in the age of photographic typesetting, according to The New York Times. Photographic typesetting was an easier way to print than hot-metal type. Rondthaler credited cold showers with his longevity. He died at his home in Cedar City, Utah. People who made it to 100 and beyond 
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Imich was born in Poland on February 4, 1903, according to a longtime friend in New York, Michael Mannion.
He and his wife, Wela, fled Poland when the Nazis took over, survived a labor camp in Russia and in 1951 moved to the United States, Mannion said.
His wife, who was a prolific artist and therapist in New York, died in 1986, according to Bogen.
"His apartment was filled with her artwork," she said.
They had no children.
Mannion told CNN that when Imich learned he was the oldest man in the world, he "enjoyed the attention."
"It was his work that he was most proud of, and he was happiest when the attention included his scientific work," Mannion said.
Despite a doctorate in zoology, Imich's passion was investigating paranormal activity, Mannion said. He detailed his encounters with the supernatural in "Incredible Tales of the Paranormal," a journal that was published when he was 92.
While Imich's lengthy life can be attributed to diet, exercise and nutrition, Mannion says his great passion and curiosity for life were the real keys to his longevity.
"He had such an ability to turn adversity into something positive. That intense curiosity was there until the last days," said Mannion, who had visited Imich the night before he died.
A 116-year-old Japanese woman, Misao Okawa, is the world's oldest living person, according to the Gerontology Research Group. The title of world's oldest man now goes to Sakari Momoi, also of Japan, who was born just a day after Imich in 1903, the group said.
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