Golden oldie Davis, 52, rolled back the years with a vintage performance in Sheffield to stun Higgins and keep alive his hopes of a shock seventh crown.
Tight: Davis (above) completed a momentous win over the defending champion
Davis, a 400-1 outsider to win snooker's world championship before the tournament began, saw his odds slashed to 28-1.
He led 9-7 overnight and held his nerve to clinch a breathtaking 13-11 win as 34-yearold Higgins crumbled under the pressure.
Davis said: 'I was shaking like a leaf, that's such an amazing victory.
'I had a little tear in my eye when I won the match, it was such an emotional feeling.
'I cannot believe I played well enough to beat John; the inner belief grew as I got closer and closer.
Frustration: Defending champion Higgins reflects on a missed red as Davis makes his way to the table
'But the nerves started to kick in then. I had my chance in that last frame we played and I thought, "This is my moment". I said to myself, "Just go to it".
'I had such a good start against him. John is such a great champion, he wished me all the best. You couldn't beat a nicer bloke.
'There were times, when John came back at me, when I could have dropped my head, but I kept my competitive resolve and it has worked.'
His stunning victory made Davis the oldest Crucible quarter-finalist since Australian Eddie Charlton reached this stage of the competition in 1983, also at the age of 52.
If Davis were to go all the way this year, he would become the oldest-ever winner of the famous Crucible crown, eclipsing Welshman Ray Reardon, who holds that distinction after winning the title in 1978 aged 45 years 203 days.
But despite capturing the imagination by seeing off Higgins yesterday, Davis stressed that contemplating his first Crucible title since 1989 would be a big mistake. 'I'm not looking at winning the tournament, that's a recipe for a sporting disaster.
'If I look too far ahead that's a big mistake,' added Davis, who will play Australian Neil Robertson in the last eight.
'All of a sudden I've inspired myself.
'The crowd were fantastic and that spurred me on.'
Higgins was disappointed with his second-round exit, but the three-time champion was full of admiration for veteran Davis, his boyhood idol.
'I really struggled at some points during that match, but take nothing away from the great man,' he said.
'He's the greatest in my eyes.' Read more:
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