Fredie Blom Explained

Fredie Blom
Birth Date:8 May 1904 (claimed)
Birth Place:Adelaide, Cape Colony
Death Place:Cape Town
Spouse:Jeannette[1]
Children:3

Fredie Blom (born 8 May 1904? – 22 August 2020) was a South African claimed supercentenarian. He claimed to have been born on 8 May 1904, which would have made him 116 years old when he died of natural causes on 22 August 2020. While Blom had a South African identity card listing his birth date, Guinness World Records never verified the claim.[2] [3] [4] [5] He was known for regularly smoking, and was reportedly the oldest man after Violet Brown, a Jamaican, died at 117 years old on 15 September 2017.[6] [7] [8]

Blom was born in Adelaide, Eastern Cape, and while he was still young moved to Cape Town. A significant part of his family died in the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918.

Blom spent most of his life working as a Black[9] labourer in the construction sector and on a farm during the apartheid period. He initially worked as a farm worker in Cape Town before joining the construction sector.[10] He was illiterate and never attended school during his childhood.[11] However, he could count.[12]

Blom worked installing 'vibracrete' walls, a type of concrete, retiring from that job after he was over 80 years old. His 116th birthday during the COVID-19 pandemic was widely covered. He married and had three children, before dying on 22 August 2020 at Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town.[13] [14] [15]

References

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2020-08-22. 'Unofficial' world's oldest man Fredie Blom dies in South Africa. 2020-09-17. Deccan Herald. en.
  2. News: 2020-08-22. Fredie Blom: 'World's oldest man' dies aged 116 in South Africa. en-GB. BBC News. 2020-09-17.
  3. Web site: Kassen. Jarita. SA's Fredie Blom, one of world's oldest men, passes away. 2020-09-17. Eyewitness News. en.
  4. Web site: Fredie Blom, survivor of two world wars and apartheid, dies aged 116. 2020-09-17. TimesLIVE. en-ZA.
  5. News: 9 May 2018. Is Fredie Blom the world's oldest man at 114?. The Cape Times.
  6. News: 2018-05-28. South African 'world's oldest man' wants to stop smoking. en-GB. BBC News. 2020-09-17.
  7. Web site: Dovey. Dana. 2018-05-29. The oldest living man in the world still lights up on the regular. 2020-09-17. Newsweek. en.
  8. News: Bever. Lindsey. At age 114, this South African man thinks it's time to quit smoking. en-US. Washington Post. 2020-09-17. 0190-8286.
  9. News: Newsweek. 'World's Oldest Man' Is 114 Years Old, Smokes Every Day. 2018-05-29. 2020-08-27.
  10. Web site: One of world's oldest men marks 116th birthday in South Africa. 23 August 2020. The Jakarta Post. en.
  11. News: Newsweek. 'World's Oldest Man' Is 114 Years Old, Smokes Every Day. 29 May 2018. 23 August 2020.
  12. News: PICS: 114-year-old Fredie Blom finally gets his own house. Genevieve Serra. Independent Online. 22 June 2018. 24 August 2020.
  13. News: 2020-08-22. Unofficial world's oldest man dies aged 116 in South Africa. en-GB. The Guardian. 2020-09-17. 0261-3077.
  14. Web site: 2020-05-09. One of the world's oldest men, Fredie Blom, marks his 116th birthday in South Africa. 2020-09-17. The Straits Times. en.
  15. Web site: South Africa's oldest living man turns 116. 2020-09-17. Capetown ETC.

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