Antonio Todde
Encyclopedia
Antonio Todde He was the oldest man in the world from the death of American
John Painter
until Todde's own death on January 3, 2002, at age 112 years, 346 days. For a short time, he was also considered the oldest person in Italian
history, and the third-oldest military veteran ever.
, in the province of Nuoro
, Sardinia
. The hilly countryside of Nuoro
is noted for its remarkable centenarian
density. Among the extremely small number of people who reach supercentenarian
age worldwide, males are a pronounced minority. Still, at the end of his life, Todde was only one of two known living Sardinian
supercentenarians, the other being Giovanni Frau of Orroli
, who was 111.
After becoming a widower, Todde's daughters, Laura, 79, and Angela, 76 — comparative youngsters in a family where one of his cousins, Michela Deiana, also lived until age 100
— looked after him. His father lived to be 90; his mother might well have lived past her centenary, had rotten cheese not intervened at age 99. At the time of Todde's death, his sister was still going strong at 97.
center of Tiana, Todde was the third of 12 children. He attended school for a year before following his father and their flock of sheep up the steep mountain paths to green pastures several days' walk away.
During his 65 years in the high pastures, Todde traveled only by foot and on horseback. He remembers hearing a strange noise at the age of seven and discovering a "cart with an engine". But he generally avoided traveling by car.
In 1920, he married Maria Antonia, then aged 25, and they had four daughters and a son. She died in 1990, aged 95. The first time Todde saw a television
was at a market in the town of Nuoro in 1954 (the same year RAI
started broadcasting), and he would cycle 30 miles each night to watch its fuzzy pictures of dancing girls. Years later, he conceded that he still enjoyed the scantily clad dancers on variety shows.
. While recovering from a grenade
wound in northern Italy he saw his first airplane
and took a shot at it.
He was wounded in the Battle of Mount Grappa
in the First World War
, and was for a time the longest-lived known person ever to have fought in a war. On 19 December 2005 however, Todde's record as the oldest war combatant was ostensibly surpassed by Moses Hardy
of the United States
. A recent census find, however, suggests Hardy could have been one year younger. Thus, Todde remains the oldest verified man in the history of Italy and was the oldest proven combat veteran on record until his record was overtaken by Henry Allingham
in May 2009.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
John Painter
John Painter
John George Painter was posthumously recognized as the world's oldest man and oldest American veteran, as a result of the United States's SSA supercentenarian study. Painter was also the last surviving American veteran of the First World War to be born in the 1880s. Only recently he was also...
until Todde's own death on January 3, 2002, at age 112 years, 346 days. For a short time, he was also considered the oldest person in Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
history, and the third-oldest military veteran ever.
Long-lived family
Todde was born in the village of TianaTiana
Tiana is a comune in the Province of Nuoro in the Italian region Sardinia, located about 90 km north of Cagliari and about 30 km southwest of Nuoro. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 547 and an area of 19.3 km²....
, in the province of Nuoro
Province of Nuoro
The Province of Nuoro is a province in the autonomous island region of Sardinia, Italy. Its capital is the city of Nuoro.It has an area of 3,934 km², and a total population of 161,444. The province is divided into 52 comuni, the largest of which are Nuoro , Siniscola , Macomer , and Dorgali...
, Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
. The hilly countryside of Nuoro
Nuoro
Nuoro is a city and comune in central-eastern Sardinia, Italy, situated on the slopes of the Monte Ortobene. It is the capital of the Province of Nuoro. With a population of 36,443 Nuoro is a city and comune (municipality) in central-eastern Sardinia, Italy, situated on the slopes of the Monte...
is noted for its remarkable centenarian
Centenarian
A centenarian is a person who is or lives beyond the age of 100 years. Because current average life expectancies across the world are less than 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity. Much rarer, a supercentenarian is a person who has lived to the age of 110 or more, something only...
density. Among the extremely small number of people who reach supercentenarian
Supercentenarian
A supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....
age worldwide, males are a pronounced minority. Still, at the end of his life, Todde was only one of two known living Sardinian
Sardinian people
The Sardinian people or Sardinians are the people from or with origins in the island of Sardinia , in the Mediterranean sea, which forms part of southern Europe.-Origin and influences:...
supercentenarians, the other being Giovanni Frau of Orroli
Orroli
Orroli is a comune in the Province of Cagliari in the Italian region of Sardinia, located about 50 km north of Cagliari. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,647 and an area of 75.6 km²....
, who was 111.
After becoming a widower, Todde's daughters, Laura, 79, and Angela, 76 — comparative youngsters in a family where one of his cousins, Michela Deiana, also lived until age 100
Centenarian
A centenarian is a person who is or lives beyond the age of 100 years. Because current average life expectancies across the world are less than 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity. Much rarer, a supercentenarian is a person who has lived to the age of 110 or more, something only...
— looked after him. His father lived to be 90; his mother might well have lived past her centenary, had rotten cheese not intervened at age 99. At the time of Todde's death, his sister was still going strong at 97.
Life in Sardinia
Born to a poor shepherd family in the medievalMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
center of Tiana, Todde was the third of 12 children. He attended school for a year before following his father and their flock of sheep up the steep mountain paths to green pastures several days' walk away.
During his 65 years in the high pastures, Todde traveled only by foot and on horseback. He remembers hearing a strange noise at the age of seven and discovering a "cart with an engine". But he generally avoided traveling by car.
In 1920, he married Maria Antonia, then aged 25, and they had four daughters and a son. She died in 1990, aged 95. The first time Todde saw a television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
was at a market in the town of Nuoro in 1954 (the same year RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
started broadcasting), and he would cycle 30 miles each night to watch its fuzzy pictures of dancing girls. Years later, he conceded that he still enjoyed the scantily clad dancers on variety shows.
Military service
He left Sardinia only to fight in the First World WarWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. While recovering from a grenade
Grenade
A grenade is a small explosive device that is projected a safe distance away by its user. Soldiers called grenadiers specialize in the use of grenades. The term hand grenade refers any grenade designed to be hand thrown. Grenade Launchers are firearms designed to fire explosive projectile grenades...
wound in northern Italy he saw his first airplane
Fixed-wing aircraft
A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...
and took a shot at it.
He was wounded in the Battle of Mount Grappa
Battle of Mount Grappa
During World War I a series of battles were fought between the armies of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Kingdom of Italy for control of the Monte Grappa massif, as it covered the left flank of the Italian Piave front....
in the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and was for a time the longest-lived known person ever to have fought in a war. On 19 December 2005 however, Todde's record as the oldest war combatant was ostensibly surpassed by Moses Hardy
Moses Hardy
Moses Hardy was, at age 112 or 113, the last black veteran of World War I and one of the last surviving American veterans of that war. The son of former slaves, Hardy was born in either 1893 or 1894 and lived a religious and farming life until he signed up to serve overseas in World War I in July...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. A recent census find, however, suggests Hardy could have been one year younger. Thus, Todde remains the oldest verified man in the history of Italy and was the oldest proven combat veteran on record until his record was overtaken by Henry Allingham
Henry Allingham
Henry William Allingham was a British supercentenarian, First World War veteran and, for one month, the verified oldest living man in the world...
in May 2009.
See also
- Oldest peopleOldest peopleThis is a list of tables of the verified oldest people in the world in ordinal rank, such as oldest person or oldest man. In these tables, a supercentenarian is considered 'verified' if his or her claim has been validated by an international body that specifically deals in longevity research, such...
- List of the verified oldest men
- SupercentenarianSupercentenarianA supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....
- Veterans of the First World War who died in 2002Veterans of the First World War who died in 2002The following is a list of known veterans of the First World War who died in 2002.-Australia :-Austria-Hungary :-Belgium :-Canada :-France :...