Florida Man Celebrates 120th Birthday
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, how far back can you remember? I -- when I think of childhood days, I might -- you know, I think of maybe "Leave It to Beaver," "Gilligan's Island." That's about the extent of my history.</s>KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: I think I went through it with you. What about the Spanish-American War, does that...</s>O'BRIEN: Well, that...</s>PHILLIPS: ... ring a bell?</s>O'BRIEN: A little before my time.</s>PHILLIPS: Well, this gentleman definitely remembers it. Check out this story.</s>PARTYGOERS (singing): Happy celebration to you.</s>LLOYD SOWERS, WTVT REPORTER (voice-over): When people sing to Juan, Juan sings back. At his 120th birthday party, with all his young friends gathered, Cuban-born Juan Ramos shares his songs and his secret.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He says that his life has turned out to be as it is because he has been the type of person that has loved everybody. And your character and your love speaks for yourself, and maybe that's the reason why he's lasted so long.</s>SAUERS: Juan says he remembers when Cuba won its independence in the Spanish-American War. Talk about the turn of the century, and he'll ask you, Which one? The Social Security Administration has reportedly verified that he was born in 1880.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They used to tell him when he was a young child that the ships would eventually have wings, and they would -- it would fly one day.</s>SAUERS: Juan was 105 when he got his first airplane ride, when his granddaughter brought him to live in the U.S. He says he feels like a child. And whether it's the 19th, 20th, or 21st century, Juan would like to sing in them all.</s>RAMOS: (singing)</s>PHILLIPS: Quite a ladies' man.</s>O'BRIEN: Yes, I think he is. And many more returns to Juan. And we want to thank Lloyd Sowers, who is with our CNN affiliate WTVT in Tampa, for that fine report. Good way to end the program.</s>PHILLIPS: Great story.