World's Oldest Living Person Celebrates 117th Birthday After Surviving Two World Wars and COVID
AM730 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Ethel Caterham, the world's oldest living person, marked her 117th birthday on Friday, February 21st, surrounded by family and friends at a care home in Surrey, approximately 40 kilometers outside London. She has become the first Briton to reach age 117, according to Guinness World Records. Born in 1909 during King Edward VII's reign, she is the last surviving person from that era. Her remarkable life has spanned two world wars, the Titanic disaster, the Russian Revolution, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which she survived at age 110. During her years with her husband, Army Major Norman Caterham, she lived in Hong Kong where she established a kindergarten. A 113-year-old Brazilian supercentenarian, João Marinho Neto, sent her birthday wishes from his home country.
Key Points
- Ethel Caterham turned 117 on February 21st, living in a Surrey care home approximately 40km from central London .
- She survived COVID-19 at age 110 in 2020, making her one of the oldest documented survivors of the disease .
- Born in 1909, she is the last surviving person to have been born during King Edward VII's reign .
- At age 18, she traveled alone to India to work as a nanny for a military family before marrying Norman Caterham in 1931 .
- She and her husband lived in Hong Kong where she founded a kindergarten; they later returned to England where her husband died in 1976 .
Why It Matters
Ethel's extraordinary longevity offers insights into human lifespan potential and the resilience of the human body against disease. Her recovery from COVID-19 at 110 years old provided valuable data for understanding how the elderly respond to severe infections. As one of the few remaining links to the early 20th century, she represents a living bridge to a historical era that shaped the modern world.
Ethel's extraordinary longevity offers insights into human lifespan potential and the resilience of the human body against disease. Her recovery from COVID-19 at 110 years old provided valuable data for understanding how the elderly respond to severe infections. As one of the few remaining links to the early 20th century, she represents a living bridge to a historical era that shaped the modern world.