| Niko Dragos | |
 Niko Dragoš on his 110th birthday in 2017. | |
| Birth: | 27 August 1907 Griblje, Črnomelj, Southeast Slovenia, Austria-Hungary (now Slovenia) |
| Death: | 31 March 2018 Ljubljana, Central Slovenia, Slovenia |
| Age: | 110 years, 216 days |
| Country: |  SVN
|
| Validated | |
Nikolaj "Niko" Dragos [Slovenian: Nikolaj “Niko” Dragoš] (27 August 1907 – 31 March 2018) was a Slovenian supercentenarian who was the oldest living person in Slovenia at the time of his death. He holds the record as the oldest Slovenian man in history and was the first Slovenian man to reach supercentenarian status. He was also the last surviving European man born in 1907. His age is validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG).
Biography
Niko Dragoš was born in the settlement of Griblje, Črnomelj, Southeast Slovenia, Austria-Hungary (now Slovenia), on 27 August 1907, as ninth of 12 children to Ivan and Barbara Dragoš. He finished primary school in Griblje.
He found a job in the Yugoslav military and was sent to a Yugoslav-Bulgarian border in present-day Serbia as a border guard. Later he became a head of the border patrol. At the outbreak of World War II, he was captured by the Germans and sent to a prisoner of war camp in present-day Austria, where he remained until the end of the war. After the war, he found a job in the Yugoslav police where he worked primarily as a record clerk. He retired in 1965.
In 1947, he married Pepca, and had son and daughter. At the request of his family, he wrote an autobiography, entitled Mojih sto let (My one hundred years) which was published in 2007. He also played musical instruments throughout his life, and still played tamboura and guitar even as a centenarian. He lived at home in Ljubljana, before moving in to a retirement home at the age of 101.
On 7 July 2012, following the death of 106-year-old Ivan Likavec, he became the oldest known living man in Slovenia.
On 23 January 2014, following the death of 106-year-old Marija Rihar, he became the oldest known living person in Slovenia.
On 27 August 2017, he celebrated his 110th birthday, becoming the first Slovenian man to reach supercentenarian status.
Niko Dragoš died in Ljubljana, Central Slovenia, Slovenia, on 31 March 2018 at the age of 110 years, 216 days. Following his death, then 108-year-old Matilda Serec became the oldest known living person in Slovenia, and then 105-year-old Rafael Merkelj became the oldest known living man in Slovenia.
Gallery
References
- List of validated supercentenarians in Slovenia Gerontology Research Group
- Najstarejši član SDS praznoval 104. rojstni dan SDS, 2 September 2011
- Nikolaj Dragoš upihnil 108. svečko Dnevnik, 27 August 2015
- Najstarejši Slovenec od mrtvih obudil vojaka Slovenske Novice, 16 September 2016
- Predsednik republike se bo udeležil praznovanja 110. rojstnega dne gospoda Nikolaja Dragoša Predsednik Republike Slovenije, 29 August 2017
- Niko Dragoš, kleni Belokranjec in najstarejši Slovenec, praznoval 110. rojstni dan Moja Dolenjska, 29 August 2017
- Najstarejši Slovenec znova praznoval v družbi predsednika države Dolenjski List, 30 August 2017
- Umrl najstarejši Slovenec, star 110 let Dnevnik, 2 April 2018
| Slovenia's Oldest Living Person Titleholders (V • E) |
|
Franc Jarc • Emilija Kancut • Marija Bandelj • Katarina Marinic • Vida Ursic • Ana Marija Kern • Julijana Jamsek • Marija Rihar • Niko Dragos • Matilda Serec • Julijana Zakrajsek • Marija Zeks |
| Slovenia's Oldest Living Man Titleholders (V • E) |
|
Janez Kocmur • Ivan Likavec • Niko Dragos • Rafael Merkelj • Mihael Jersic • Joze Pogacnik • Aleksander Lestan • Milan Sefman |