Valentino Stella

Valentino Stella (2 January 1886 – 1 January 1997) was an Italian supercentenarian whose age is validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG). He was the oldest known living man (and person) in Italy when he died.

Biography
Valentino Stella was born on 2 January 1886 in Asiago, Veneto, Italy. In 1908, he earned a medal for saving the life of a woman during the Messina Earthquake of 1908. Between 1910 and 1919, he lived in the USA.

When Valentino returned to Italy, he married and had three children: Ida, Zeffira, and Eros. They were all still alive when their father died, aged 74, 68, and 66 respectively. Valentino became the oldest man in Italy aged 109 on 8 February 1995, following the death of fellow 109-year-old Giuseppe Pinna. He became the oldest person in Italy also aged 109 upon the death of 112-year-old Chelidonia Merosi on 10 December 1995.

Valentino Stella died on 1 January 1997 in Villafranca di Verona, Veneto, Italy, after being admitted to hospital for kidney failure. He was 110 years, 365 days old. He is, so far, the only validated supercentenarian to die 365 days after their final birthday and not celebrate their next one. After his death, Antonio Baldo (1887-1998) became the oldest man in Italy, and Eleonora Casagrande (1886-1997) became the oldest person in Italy.