James Wiggins

James Wiggins
Wiggins in his adult years.
Birth:	15 October 1879 Arkansas, USA
Death:	16 October 1991 Arkansas, USA
Age:	112 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

Wiggins at age 100.

Wiggins on his 110th birthday in 1989.

References

• Gerontology Research Group
• Marianna Courier 13 October 1988
• Marianna Courier 9 November 1989
• 1879 Gallery
• James W Wiggins AncientFaces

World's Oldest Living Man Titleholders (V • T • E)

Sylvester Melvin • Joseph Saint-Amour • William Fullingim • John Mosley Turner • Friedrich Wedeking • Frederick Butterfield • Jean Teillet • Charlie Nelson • Charlie Phillips • Zachariah Blackistone • James Nash • Walter Wilcox • Gregory Pandazes • Joe Thomas • Herman Smith-Johannsen • Alphaeus Philemon Cole • John Evans • Henri Perignon • James Wiggins • Frederick Frazier • Josep Armengol-Jover • Christian Mortensen • Johnson Parks • Walter Richardson • Denzo Ishizaki • Antonio Urrea-Hernandez • John Painter • Antonio Todde • Yukichi Chuganji • Joan Riudavets-Moll • Fred Hale • Emiliano Mercado del Toro • Tomoji Tanabe • Henry Allingham • Walter Breuning • Jiroemon Kimura • Salustiano Sanchez • Arturo Licata • Alexander Imich • Sakari Momoi • Yasutaro Koide • Israel Kristal • Francisco Nunez Olivera • Masazo Nonaka • Domingo Villa Avisencio • Chitetsu Watanabe • Bob Weighton • Emilio Flores Marquez • Saturnino de la Fuente Garcia • Juan Vicente Perez Mora • John Tinniswood

United States' Oldest Living Man Titleholders (V • E)

Charlie Nelson • Charlie Phillips • Zachariah Blackistone • James Nash • Walter Wilcox • Gregory Pandazes • Joe Thomas • Alphaeus Philemon Cole • Alton Gilbert • Oscar Dubois • James Wiggins • Frederick Frazier • Christian Mortensen • Johnson Parks • Walter Richardson • John Painter • John McMorran • Fred Hale • Earl Brush • Moses Hardy • Thomas Nelson • Antonio Pierro • George Francis • Walter Breuning • Shelby Harris • Salustiano Sanchez • Alexander Imich • Conrad Johnson • Wash Wesley • Felix Simoneaux • Frank Levingston • Clarence Matthews • Richard Overton • Henry Tseng • CP Crawford • Irving Piken • Lawrence Brooks • Ezra Hill • Francis Zouein • Morrie Markoff