Charlie Smith claimed to be 137 years old, a former enslaved man from Liberia, a Civil War vet, and the oldest man in America. For a time, people believed him. But after his death in Bartow, Florida, the records told a different story.

In this Strange Files episode, we look at the strange, charming, and very human tale of Charlie Smith, and why stories of impossible age become folklore, even when the truth catches up.

Dive deeper into true crime, unsolved mysteries, and tales of high strangeness each week on A Study of Strange. Hosted by filmmaker Michael May, exploring the dark crossroads of history, folklore, and the unexplained.

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