Jonathan is the world’s oldest tortoise. This is his 190th birthday. He lived through two world wars, eight British monarchs, and 40 U.S. presidents. His lifetime has seen the first phone call (1876), the first skyscraper (1885), the first powered flight (1903), and the first people to walk on the moon (1969).
He was alive when the first photograph of a person was taken in 1838; now he poses for selfies with adoring tourists. He was born before the creation of the postage stamp (1840) and now appears on them.
Jonathan marked the occasion with a three-day birthday party over the weekend at his home on the South Atlantic island and British overseas territory St. Helena, where he spent the majority of his long life.
Jonathan is believed to born in 1832 but could potentially be even older. His estimated age is based on the fact that he was fully mature when he was brought to St. Helena from the Seychelles in 1882 as a gift to its then-governor.
