The world’s oldest living person, British woman Ethel Caterham, celebrated her 116th birthday on Thursday, quietly marking the milestone with her family in Surrey, southern England.
Caterham, who assumed the title earlier this year following the death of Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, is now officially recognised by the Gerontological Research Group (GRG) and the LongeviQuest database as the world’s oldest person.
Born on August 21, 1909, in the village of Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, Caterham has lived through two World Wars, the reign of six British monarchs, and more than a century of global transformation. She is the last surviving subject of King Edward VII.
Her care home described the celebration as low-key, noting that Caterham would be spending the day “at her own pace.” “Ethel and her family are so grateful for all of the kind messages and interest shown to her as she celebrates her 116th birthday this year,” the facility said in a statement, adding that she would not be granting interviews.
The great-grandmother, who has three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, credits her longevity to keeping the peace and living life on her own terms. “Never arguing with anyone! I listen and I do what I like,” she once said.
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Caterham’s remarkable life includes surviving a bout of Covid-19 at age 110 in 2020, playing bridge well into her old age, and driving until just before she turned 100. She also outlived her husband, Norman, who died in 1976, as well as her two daughters.
Last year, she received a congratulatory letter from King Charles III on her 115th birthday, hailing her as an inspiration for reaching a “truly remarkable milestone.”
While Caterham currently holds the title of the world’s oldest living person, the record for the oldest human ever remains with Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who lived to 122 years and 164 days before her death in 1997.