| Ilie Ciocan | |
 Ilie Ciocan (aged 109) in April 2023 | |
| Birth: | 10 June 1913 Cremenari, Galicea, Valcea, Romania |
| Age: | 111 years, 181 days |
| Country: |  ROU
|
| Validated | |
Ilie Ciocan (born 28 May 1913 O.S/ 10 June 1913 N.S.) is a Romanian supercentenarian who is currently the oldest living person in Romania and the Balkans, as well as the oldest living world war II veteran in the world and the oldest known living man in Europe. He is also the third-oldest known living man in the world, after Joao Marinho Neto and Josino Levino Ferreira. His age is validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG).
Biography
Early life
Ilie Ciocan was born in the village of Cremenari, Galicea, Valcea County, Romania on 28 May 1913 (now 10 June since the adoption of the Gregorian calendar). He had a difficult life, after being orphaned first by his father at the age of 6, and then by his mother at the age of 12, he had to start working from a young age in order to survive. He worked as a shepherd in the village for a "piece of bread". Until the age of 14, he worked with "cows".
At the age of 18, he married Floarea Obogeanu, who was seven years older than him, they were officially married on 28 January 1932 in the Romanian Orthodox Church. Together they had six children, three daughters and three sons.
He was mobilized into the army at the age of 22, then was incorporated in the 6th Pitesti Artillery Regiment in 1935 and went to the front in 1941. He participated in the Second World War as a gunner and courier servant, on the Eastern Front, in Odessa and the Don Bend, but it also reached the Western Front and even to Czeechoslovakia.
In 1945 he was released home from the army on the grounds that he had many children. He managed to return from the front unscathed. After World War II, he received veteran status.
Following the general promotion orders issued after 1990 by the Ministry of National Defense of Romania, Ciocan reached the rank of major.
His wife Floarea died in 1992 at the age of 87.
Later life and longevity records
He rode a bicycle until the age of 90. At the age of 93, he slipped in the snow and broke his leg, he recovered successfully, although he refused to let the doctors put his leg in a "plaster".
Until the age of 103, Ciocan could read the Bible and the newspaper without glasses. In three years he lost his hearing and sight.
Until the age of 107, he lived alone in his house with the help of his son, and after his son's death at the age of 88 in May 2020, his grandchildren continued to take care of him.
On 15 February 2021, following the death of 108-year-old Ioan Lascau, he became the oldest known living man in Romania.
On 15 March 2021, following the death of 108-year-old Stelios Fragiadoulakis of Greece, he became the oldest living man in the Balkans.
On 2 February 2022, following the death of 109-year-old Maria Mihai, he became the oldest known living person in Romania.
On 28 February 2023, following the death of 109-year-old Constantin Hertoiu, he became the last known surviving person in Romania born before 1915 and the last Balkan man born before the outbreak of the world war I.
On 5 April 2023, following the death of 111-year-old Ioanna Proiou-Dimitriadou of Greece, he became the oldest living person in the Balkans.
On 10 June 2023, he celebrated his 110th birthday, becoming a supercentenarian.
On 2 July 2023, following the death of 108-year-old Ramiz Selmani of North Macedonia, he became the last known surviving Balkan man born before 1915.
On 7 January 2024, following the death of 111-year-old Frenchman Andre Ludwig, he became the oldest living world war II veteran in Europe.
On 30 January 2024, following the death of 111-year-old Japanese Tsuneji Oyama, he became the oldest living world war II veteran in the world.
In the middle of April 2024, at the age of 110, almost 111, during an attack of dementia, he fell off the bed and broke his pelvis, he was hospitalized, and after a week he was released home. Despite the doctors’ forecasts, he recovered in good shape.
On 13 August 2024, following the death of 111-year-old British John Farringdon, he became the last surviving European man born in 1913.
On 13 September 2024, following the death of 110-year-old Fikrije Loki of North Macedonia, he became the last surviving person in the Balkans born before 1915.
On 9 October 2024, he was visited by President of the GRG Board Management, Waclaw Jan Kroczek and GRG Correspondent for Romania, Lacramioara Frasineanu.
On 25 November 2024, following the death of 112-year-old British John Tinniswood, Ciocan became the oldest living man in Europe.
Ilie Ciocan currently lives in the village of Bratia din Vale, Galicea, Valcea County, Romania at the age of 111 years, 181 days. He is currently the second-oldest known documented Romanian ever (behind Dumitru Comanescu).
Gallery
References
- World Supercentenarian Rankings List Gerontology Research Group
- Ilie Ciocan Gerontology Research Group
- 2023 validations Gerontology Research Group
- List of validated supercentenarians in Romania Gerontology Research Group
- In comuna Galicea traieste azi cel mai in varsta veteran de razboi din Valcea Ziare.com, 29 April 2022
- Cel mai longeviv veteran de război din România. „Nu am omorât pe nimeni pe front. Calul m-a salvat din război“ FOTO Adevărul, 31 July 2022
- Vâlceanul Constantin Herțoiu, cel mai vârstnic român decorat de familia regală a murit în ziua în care a împlinit 109 ani Ziarul de Vâlcea, 5 March 2023
- În județul Vâlcea, în comuna Galicea, trăiește cel mai vârstnic veteran de război din țară. Constantin Rădulescu on Facebook, 28 April 2023
- Cel mai longeviv veteran de război mai îmbătrânește cu un an. Ilie Ciocan nu este fumător și bea doar ocazional VIDEO Adevărul, 29 April 2023
- Ilie Ciocan, cel mai vârstnic veteran de război din țară, împlinește 110 ani Radio Romania Actualitati, 28 May 2023
- Ilie Ciocan din Bratia Vale – cavaler la 110 ani! Curierul zilei, 30 May 2023
- Ilie Ciocan, Romania’s oldest living person celebrated his 111th birthday Gerontology Research Group, 28 May 2024
- Cel mai vârstnic om din România trăiește în Galicea. Administrația locală l-a premiat astăzi, de ziua lui! Gazeta Valceana, 28 May 2024
- Cel mai longeviv veteran de război din lume trăiește în România. Vârsta incredibilă împlinită de Ilie Ciocan Adevărul, 30 May 2024
- Viața la 111 ani. Ilie Ciocan, cel mai în vârstă român, trăiește în Galicea, Vâlcea, și e îngrijit cu devotament de nepoții pe care nu i-a iubit: „I-am promis tatei că o să avem grijă de el!” Libertatea, 15 August 2024
- Ilie Ciocan of Bratia din Vale, Romania, becomes the oldest living man in Europe at 111 Gerontology Research Group, 28 November 2024
- GRG visit to Ilie Ciocan of Romania, 111, Europe’s Oldest Man Gerontology Research Group, 30 November 2024
| Romania's Oldest Living Person Titleholders (V • E) |
|
Marton Mihaly • Maria Tudor • Margit Szemenyei • Elena Sireteanu • Sofia Vrabie • Dumitru Comanescu • Vasile Stamateanu • Ioan Lascau • Maria Mihai • Ilie Ciocan |
| Romania's Oldest Living Man Titleholders (V • E) |
|
Marton Mihaly • Nicolae Dumitrescu • Nicolae Pasculescu • Gheorghe Covaci • Traian Grancea • Achile Zdru • Dumitru Comanescu • Vasile Stamateanu • Ioan Lascau • Ilie Ciocan |