Antonio Todde

Infobox_Person | name = Antonio Todde
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image_size = 185px
caption = Todde at age 112 (right)
birth_date = birth date|1889|1|22
birth_place = Tiana, Sardinia, Italy
death_date = death date and age|2002|1|3|1889|1|22|mf=y
title =
occupation =
spouse =
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Antonio Todde (January 22, 1889 – January 3, 2002) was the oldest documented man in the world in 2001-2002 until he died at age 112 years 346 days, after the death of American John Painter, and briefly the oldest person in the history of Italy.fact|date=December 2007

He was born in the village of Tiana, in the province of Nuoro, Sardinia.fact|date=December 2007 The hilly countryside of Nuoro is noted for its remarkable centenarian density.fact|date=December 2007 Among the extremely small number of people who reach supercentenarian age worldwide, males are a pronounced minority, but at the end of his life Todde was not even the only male supercentenarian in Nuoro.fact|date=December 2007

A widower for the past decade, Todde was looked after by his daughters, Laura, 79, and Angela, 76 — comparative youngsters in a family where one of his sisters also reached 100.fact|date=December 2007 His father lived to be 90, his mother was denied her centenary when she was poisoned by a rotten cheese at 99, and another sister was still going strong at 97 at the time of his death.fact|date=December 2007

Todde's diet was based on pasta and soup. He had some pork or lamb each day and a glass-and-a-half of red wine. In the mornings he crossed himself before washing and splashing on a little aftershave. The local priest gave him holy communion once a month.fact|date=December 2007

Born to a poor shepherd family in the medieval 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.fact|date=December 2007

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.fact|date=December 2007

He left Sardinia only to fight in the First World War. While recovering from a grenade wound in northern Italy he saw his first airplane and took a shot at it.fact|date=December 2007

In 1920, he married Maria-Antonia, then aged 25, and they had four daughters and a son. She died in 1990. The first time Todde saw a television was in the market 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 with a twinkle in his eye that he still enjoyed the scantily clad dancers on variety shows.fact|date=December 2007

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.fact|date=December 2007 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 Mr. Hardy could have been one year younger.fact|date=December 2007or|date=December 2007 Thus, Todde remains the oldest man in the history of Italy and the oldest proven combat veteran on record, at 112 years and 346 days.fact|date=December 2007

ee also

* Oldest people
* List of the verified oldest men
* Supercentenarian
* Veterans of the First World War who died in 2002

References

* [http://www.recordholders.org/en/list/oldest.html The Oldest Human Beings]