Aarne Arvonen

Aarne Arvonen

Aarne Arvonen in 2006

Aarne Arvonen in 2006
Born (1897-08-04)4 August 1897
Helsinki, Grand Duchy of Finland
Died 1 January 2009(2009-01-01)
(aged 111 years, 150 days)
Järvenpää, Finland
Allegiance  Finland
Service/branch Red Guards
Years of service 1918
Battles/wars Finnish Civil War

Aarne Armas "Arska" Arvonen (4 August 1897 – 1 January 2009[1]) was, at age 111 years, 150 days, a Finnish supercentenarian, the all-time oldest living male person in Finland. He was the third-oldest man in Europe since the death of 110-year-old Frenchman Aimé Avignon, on 23 August 2007. He also became the seventh-oldest man in the world upon the death of American George Francis on 27 December 2008. Arvonen was born at a time when Finland was still part of the Russian Empire.

Biography

Aarne Arvonen was born in Helsinki and was the last surviving veteran of the Finnish Civil War of 1918 having served for the Red Guard. After the Civil War he spent a year at the Tammisaari prison camp.[2] Arvonen later lived in Kallio, Helsinki, and had two daughters, Irma and Paula, with his wife Sylvi Emilia Salonen. At this time Arvonen was a smoker. His wife died in 1938, and that year he moved to Järvenpää, where he eventually lived in the Vanhankylänniemi rest home.[3] In the summer of 2005, Arvonen was still living in a house he had built himself. Soon afterwards, however, he was hospitalized due to nephritis. He recovered from the inflammation, and his health was good still in 2008, but he had lost his sight and needed a hearing aid.

Arvonen was interested in astronomy since his childhood, and in 1921 he became a founding member of the Finnish amateur astronomy association Ursa. His membership lasted nearly 87 years. He visited London during his centenary celebrations in 1997, and celebrated his 111th birthday in 2008 with his family, but skipped his yearly trip to the local McArthur pub, making it a low key affair.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Helsingin Sanomat: Suomen viimeinen 1800-luvulla syntynyt kuoli
  2. ↑ "At age 105, Aarne Arvonen still knows how to enjoy life" Helsingin Sanomat International Edition, 6 August 2002. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
  3. ↑ Suomen vanhin täyttää 110 vuotta - Uutiset - Ilta-Sanomat
  4. ↑ Helsinki Times: Finland's oldest person turns 111 years old
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