| James Wiggins | |
 Wiggins in his adult years. | |
| Birth: | 15 October 1880 Arkansas, USA |
| Death: | 16 October 1991 Arkansas, USA |
| Age: | 111 years, 1 day |
| Country: |  USA
|
| Validated | |
James William Wiggins (15 October 1879 – 16 October 1991) was a validated American supercentenarian who was the oldest living man in the world at the time of his death. He is also the oldest validated man ever who died in the US state of Arkansas.
Biography
James Wiggins was born in a log cabin in Aubrey, Lee County, Arkansas, USA on 15 October 1879. His parents were William, a Civil War veteran, and Barbara Wiggins. James had 6 other siblings.
On 18 March 1905, he married Mamie Lane. He worked as a farmer. He enlisted in the U.S. Army during both world wars. He later remarried, this time to Molly Hill. At age 100, he was still physically able to chop wood. He became bedridden at age 109, but was still relatively healthy. A newspaper article from November 1989 reported that James was living with his daughter Rosetta in Lee County, Arkansas, since 20 years.
James Wiggins was the World's oldest man from the death of Henri Perignon (who was just one day older than him) on June 18, 1990 until his own death in Palestine, Saint Francis County, Arkansas, USA on 16 October 1991, a day after his 112th birthday. Wiggins was the first black man to reach age 112, and the third man overall to do this, after Alphaeus Philemon Cole and John Evans. Wiggins was the oldest verified black man ever until Johnson Parks surpassed his age in 1996. Wiggins remains the oldest man ever born in Arkansas. Wiggins was the last surviving man born in the 1870s. He was succeeded as the world's oldest man by Frederick Frazier.
Gallery
References
- Gerontology Research Group
- Marianna Courier 13 October 1988
- Marianna Courier 9 November 1989
- 1879 Gallery
- James W Wiggins AncientFaces