Supercentenarian Profile

Ilie Ciocan

Born:

1913-06-10

Cremenari, Vâlcea County

Romania

Current Residence:

Bratia din Vale, Galicea, Vâlcea County

Romania

✔ Age Certified by LongeviQuest

Ilie Ciocan is a Romanian supercentenarian who is currently the world’s second-oldest living man, as well as the oldest living man in Europe. He is also Romania’s all–time national longevity record holder.

BIOGRAPHY

Ilie Ciocan was born in the village of Cremenari, Vâlcea County, Romania, on 10 June [O.S. 28 May] 1913. He lost his father, Tudor, at age six, and his mother at age twelve. According to him, until the age of seven he owned virtually no clothing, and was forced to begin working very young in order to survive. He worked as a cowherd in the village in exchange for bread, and continued tending cattle until he was 14. With no close relatives able to support them, his eldest brother, Alion, became the primary caretaker of the younger siblings. Alion died in the 1970s.

On 28 January 1932, at the age of 18, he married Floarea Obogeanu, a woman seven years older than him, who was considered comparatively well-off because she owned a small plot of land they could live from. The couple would eventually have six children (three sons and three daughters).

At age 22, already a father, he was drafted into the 6th Pitești Artillery Regiment. After being drafted, he went through several training camps before leaving for the front in 1941 during the Second World War. By that time, he already had children. He served as a courier, delivering orders from the Battery to the battlefield, and fought on both the Eastern and Western Fronts. He was also assigned duties as a gun crew member, and at times as infantry — carrying food and ammunition.

In 1945, he was discharged from the army because he already had a large family, returning home without combat wounds, though in weakened health. After 1990, Ciocan was awarded the rank of major in retirement. His wife died in 1992, at the age of 87.

At the age of 70, he reportedly underwent three surgeries in a single day: prostate, appendicitis, and a herniated disc. He remained extremely active well into late old age, and continued riding his bicycle until nearly 90. One of several fractures he had sustained since returning from the front eventually prevented him from cycling further.

At age 93, he slipped on snow and fell in his yard, where he lay in the cold for more than half an hour until his family found him. During his working years, he would routinely wake up in the middle of the night and cycle 20 kilometers to work. Even after retirement, he continued to work at CAP Galicea, where he looked after agricultural machinery because, in his words, “he couldn’t stay in one place”.

He reportedly lost his teeth at 100, and his sight and hearing around 103. After that point, it became increasingly difficult to understand what he wished to communicate. From about age 104 onward, he could not move around without assistance from his grandchildren, who were his primary caregivers. Only in 2022, at around age 108, did they obtain a wheelchair for him. While still able to, he continued to read the Bible and various newspapers — he subscribed to all of the major national papers, including Adevărul — and reportedly did not require glasses until age 103. When he was no longer able to continue reading, he donated his prayer books, valued at more than 2,000 lei, to the church.

At age 109, it was reported that he was being cared for by his granddaughter Maria, the daughter of his eldest son, who had looked after him until her own death two years earlier. At the time, he still had three living children (two daughters and his youngest son). One of his sons had died in his 30s, and one of his daughters had died before reaching 70.

When asked about the secret to his longevity, he would simply reply: “God kept me all these years.” His granddaughter Maria believed that diet, physical activity and faith were key to her grandfather’s long life, balanced temperament and respect towards others. She noted that he never smoked, and only drank alcohol with dinner. Even at 109, he was still occasionally given a small glass of brandy. He reportedly consumed large quantities of dairy — including milk and especially buttermilk — and also drank sweet milk. He ate fresh cheeses, including Telemea, boiled eggs, and a wide variety of soups.

On War Veterans’ Day, on 29 April 2023, shortly before his 110th birthday, the Vâlcea County administration presented him with a diploma and a flag. At that time, he was recognized as the oldest known living war veteran in Romania, and already among the oldest living veterans in the world.

RECOGNITION

Ciocan was first known to researchers at the age of 109, and was widely reported in Romanian media on his 110th birthday in 2023.

It is believed that Ciocan became Romania’s oldest living man following the passing of Ioan Lascău (25 February 1912 – 15 February 2021).

Following the passing of 109-year-old Maria Mihai (5 January 1913 – 2 February 2022), he became the oldest known living person in Romania.

On 30 January 2024, following the death of 111-year-old Japanese veteran Tsuneji Oyama, he became the world’s oldest known living World War II veteran.

On 13 August 2024, following the death of 111-year-old Briton John Farringdon, he became the last surviving European man born in 1913.

On 25 November 2024, after the death of 112-year-old Briton John Tinniswood, Ciocan became the Oldest Living Man in Europe.

On 16 January 2025, at the age of 111 years and 220 days, Ciocan surpassed the final age of Dumitru Comănescu (1908–2020), who lived to 111 years and 219 days, becoming the oldest validated man — and the oldest validated person — in Romanian history. Two Romanian emigrants, Istvánné Fejes and Barbara Poth, however, lived longer. On 12 April 2025, Ciocan surpassed Fejes’s final age, becoming the oldest known person ever born in Romania. In June, he became the first documented Romanian to reach the age of 112.

His age was verified by an anonymous researcher, Ben Meyers, and Stefan Maglov, and validated by LongeviQuest on 7 November 2025.