John Painter
Encyclopedia
John George Painter was posthumously recognized as the world's oldest man and oldest American veteran, as a result of the United States
's SSA
supercentenarian
study. Painter was also the last surviving American veteran of the First World War
to be born in the 1880s. Only recently he was also proclaimed to have been the world's oldest man at the time. Painter was the earliest born man to live into the 21st century. Even though it was more than a century after the very first (male) supercentenarian case was recorded (that of Geert Adriaans Boomgaard
), Painter was in fact the first male ever to live in 13 different decades, if not counting disputed cases. (Painter was born the day before Boomgaard's 100th birthday.)
The June 1900
Census
listed him as born in September 1888, while the 1910 Census
said he was 19 years old and according to the 1920 Census
, he was 28 years old. But because the oldest document was closer to the birth event, it is more likely to be correct.
at age 29. Painter was a part of the Battery D the 115th Artillery Battalion and saw action at the Meuse-Argonne Offensive
and hauled ammunition and artillery supplies including field guns. He transported all the supplies on horse
s or mule
s. 80 days after the Armistice
was declared on November 11, 1918, Painter received the highest French honor, the Légion d'honneur
award, the Croix de Guerre
and received the Tennessee Distinguished Award and only five other Tennessee World War I
veterans were awarded that. During the war, Painter had to leave his son Sean Humphrey Painter when he went to war. Painter was discharged from service on April 12, 1919 after serving in the United States Army
for two years.
After the war, Painter got married to his childhood and former sweetheart Gillie Watson and adopted two daughters. He also pursued his career as being a blacksmith. On November 19, 1999, Painter was recognized as the world's oldest veteran at age 111. On September 20, 2000, Bart Gordon
, representative from Tennessee, read the following proclamation in honor of John's 112th birthday:
Painter was the world's oldest recognized man
for about a year and four months from November 15, 1999 until his death at age 112.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
's SSA
Social Security Administration
The United States Social Security Administration is an independent agency of the United States federal government that administers Social Security, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability, and survivors' benefits...
supercentenarian
Supercentenarian
A supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....
study. Painter was also the last surviving American veteran of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
to be born in the 1880s. Only recently he was also proclaimed to have been the world's oldest man at the time. Painter was the earliest born man to live into the 21st century. Even though it was more than a century after the very first (male) supercentenarian case was recorded (that of Geert Adriaans Boomgaard
Geert Adriaans Boomgaard
Geert Adriaans Boomgaard is accepted by most demographic scholars as the first validated supercentenarian case on record...
), Painter was in fact the first male ever to live in 13 different decades, if not counting disputed cases. (Painter was born the day before Boomgaard's 100th birthday.)
The June 1900
United States Census, 1900
The Twelfth United States Census, conducted by the Census Office on June 1, 1900, determined the resident population of the United States to be 76,212,168, an increase of 21.0 percent over the 62,979,766 persons enumerated during the 1890 Census....
Census
United States Census
The United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats , electoral votes, and government program funding. The United States Census Bureau The United States Census...
listed him as born in September 1888, while the 1910 Census
United States Census, 1910
The Thirteenth United States Census, conducted by the Census Bureau on April 15, 1910, determined the resident population of the United States to be 92,228,496, an increase of 21.0 percent over the 76,212,168 persons enumerated during the 1900 Census...
said he was 19 years old and according to the 1920 Census
United States Census, 1920
The Fourteenth United States Census, conducted by the Census Bureau one month from January 5, 1920, determined the resident population of the United States to be 106,021,537, an increase of 15.0 percent over the 92,228,496 persons enumerated during the 1910 Census.Despite the constitutional...
, he was 28 years old. But because the oldest document was closer to the birth event, it is more likely to be correct.
Biography
John George Painter was born on a farm in Jackson County, Tennessee. Painter attended school as a child and worked on the farm. In 1917, Painter enlisted in the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
at age 29. Painter was a part of the Battery D the 115th Artillery Battalion and saw action at the Meuse-Argonne Offensive
Meuse-Argonne Offensive
The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, or Maas-Argonne Offensive, also called the Battle of the Argonne Forest, was a part of the final Allied offensive of World War I that stretched along the entire western front.-Overview:...
and hauled ammunition and artillery supplies including field guns. He transported all the supplies on horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s or mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
s. 80 days after the Armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...
was declared on November 11, 1918, Painter received the highest French honor, the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
award, the Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
and received the Tennessee Distinguished Award and only five other Tennessee World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
veterans were awarded that. During the war, Painter had to leave his son Sean Humphrey Painter when he went to war. Painter was discharged from service on April 12, 1919 after serving in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
for two years.
After the war, Painter got married to his childhood and former sweetheart Gillie Watson and adopted two daughters. He also pursued his career as being a blacksmith. On November 19, 1999, Painter was recognized as the world's oldest veteran at age 111. On September 20, 2000, Bart Gordon
Bart Gordon
Barton Jennings "Bart" Gordon, is a lawyer and former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1985 until 2011. The district includes several rural areas and fast-growing suburbs east of Nashville. He was Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology from 2007 until 2011. He is a member...
, representative from Tennessee, read the following proclamation in honor of John's 112th birthday:
- Mr. Speaker, I rise today to wish a happy 112th birthday to Tennessee's oldest surviving World War I veteran, John George Painter of Hermitage Springs. He is also believed to be the nation's oldest surviving veteran.
Painter was the world's oldest recognized man
Oldest people
This is a list of tables of the verified oldest people in the world in ordinal rank, such as oldest person or oldest man. In these tables, a supercentenarian is considered 'verified' if his or her claim has been validated by an international body that specifically deals in longevity research, such...
for about a year and four months from November 15, 1999 until his death at age 112.
See also
- Oldest peopleOldest peopleThis is a list of tables of the verified oldest people in the world in ordinal rank, such as oldest person or oldest man. In these tables, a supercentenarian is considered 'verified' if his or her claim has been validated by an international body that specifically deals in longevity research, such...
- SupercentenarianSupercentenarianA supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....
- Veterans of the First World War who died in 2001Veterans of the First World War who died in 2001The following is a list of known veterans of the First World War who died in 2001.-Australia :-Austria-Hungary :-Belgium :-Canada :-France :...