Arturo Licata

Arturo Licata (born May 2, 1902) is an Italian supercentenarian, who at the age of 122 years, 117 days, is Italy's and Europe's oldest living man since the death of 111-year-old Spanish man Francisco Fernández Fernández on September 7, 2012. Licata is also the fifth-oldest verified living man worldwide, over five years younger than the world's oldest living man, Jiroemon Kimura of Japan. Licata is also the last surviving Italian and European man born in 1902.

Life
Licata was born in 1902 into a family of four brothers and two sisters. At the age of nine he went to work in the mines, and later served in the Italian military, including during the 1936 Italian invasion of Ethiopia. When he was young, Licata walked 22 kilometers every day, due to the lack of cars in his area. He worked as a miner in dangerous working conditions, and later worked at an anti-tuberculosis dispensary and as a businessman. Licata's career lasted for over sixty years. He had seven children: Paolo, Salvatore, Rosario, Concettina, Giuseppina, Lucia, and Gaetano (who died in 2000). Licata also has eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. His wife Rosa passed away in 1980, when Arturo was 78 years old. Aside from poor hearing and eyesight, he remains in good health. He currently lives in Enna, Sicily, Italy.

Longevity milestones

 * On March 30, 2012, Giuseppe Mirabella died. Licata became the oldest living man in Italy.
 * On June 29, 2012, Angelo Valva died. Licata became the last Italian man born in 1902.
 * On September 7, 2012, Francisco Fernández died. Licata became the oldest living man in Europe.
 * On November 13, 2012, the Gerontology Research Group verified him.
 * On November 25, 2012, he reached Giuseppe Mirabella's age, thus becoming the oldest Sicilian man ever.