About Herman Smith-Johannsen
Herman "Jackrabbit" Smith-Johannsen, was a Norwegian skier and supercentenarian. He was the oldest living man from 14 December 1986 to 5 January 1987. He was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada in 1972. He is credited for building many ski jumps and blazing trails in Canada, and New York. He is known for his one-day ascent of Mount Marcy, the tallest mountain in New York. He was born in Horten, Norway, and later moved to the United States, before settling in Piedmont, Quebec. Smith-Johannsen died from pneumonia on 5 January 1987, aged 111 years, 204 days, near Tønsberg, Norway, being the oldest man in the world for the last 22 days of his life. While on a trip to Norway to visit friends, Smith-Johannsen became ill and doctors would not let him fly home.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.