Henry Allingham
He was the last living link to the trenches of the First World War, a man who carried the memory of that conflict into the 21st century.
1896–2009 (age 113)·English supercentenarian·Birthday: June 6·The Lost Generation
Biography
Henry Allingham's life spanned three centuries and witnessed the transformation of the modern world. Born in the age of the horse and carriage, he volunteered for the Royal Naval Air Service in 1915, serving as a mechanic on the Western Front and at the Battle of Jutland. After the war, he worked in the automotive industry, living a quiet life until his status as one of Britain's last surviving WWI veterans thrust him into the public eye in his final years. His longevity became a vessel for living history; he gave vivid, firsthand accounts of the Great War, attended remembrance ceremonies, and met royalty, becoming a national symbol of resilience and memory. He passed away in 2009, the world's oldest man and the United Kingdom's longest-lived person ever recorded.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Henry was born in 1896, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Henry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1896
Henry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1896Born
First modern Olympic Games held in Athens
President: Grover Cleveland
1901Started school
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Became a teenager
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1912Could drive
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1914Could vote
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1917Turned 21
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Turned 30
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1936Turned 40
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1946Turned 50
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1956Turned 60
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1966Turned 70
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 80
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
2009Died at 113
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
Key Achievements
- He became the oldest verified living man in the world in June 2009.
- He was recognized as the longest-lived man ever recorded in the history of the United Kingdom.
- He was the last surviving original member of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS).
- He was the last surviving participant of the Battle of Jutland from any nation.
Did You Know?
He attributed his longevity to "cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women."
He received letters from thousands of schoolchildren after his 110th birthday.
He had met Harry Patch, the last surviving British Army veteran of WWI, forming a poignant final connection to the era.
He was made an honorary member of the Royal Air Force when the RNAS merged with it in 1918.
“I've had a good innings, and I'm ready to go.”
