Gaby
According to 115-year-old Ethel Caterham, recognized as the oldest person in the world, the secret to longevity lies in doing what you love.
Mrs. Caterham, born in 1909, became the first British woman to hold the title of the world’s oldest person since 1987, when the record was held by 114-year-old Anna Williams.
This title was awarded to Ethel Caterham by the research company LongeviQuest, which verifies ages for the Guinness World Records.
Ethel Caterham, the last subject of Edward VII to live into modern times, received this honor after the previous oldest person in the world—a Brazilian nun named Ina Canabarro Lucas—passed away on April 30 of this year at the age of 116 years and 326 days.
Currently, Mrs. Caterham resides in a nursing home in Lightwater, Surrey. She attributes her longevity to a wise and optimistic outlook on life. “I took everything in stride, the ups and downs,” the record-holder shared. She also emphasized her principle of “never arguing with anyone.” “I do what I like,” Ethel Caterham added.
More About the Oldest Person on the Planet
Ethel Caterham was born in the village of Shipton Bellinger in southern England (Hampshire) on August 21, 1909. Besides Ethel, there were seven other children in her family. At 18, she took a job as a nanny for a family living in India, returning to Great Britain three years later. In 1931, she met her future husband, a British Army lieutenant colonel named Norman Caterham.
The couple married in 1933 at Salisbury Cathedral, as reported by The Guardian. For a time, they lived in Hong Kong, where Ethel opened a nursery.
The couple had two daughters. For most of their lives, Ethel and Norman’s family resided in Great Britain. Mrs. Caterham’s husband passed away in 1976.
She has lived in Surrey for the past 50 years. She has three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. “I’ve traveled the world and ended up in this wonderful home, where everyone loves me and gives me everything I want,” she said.
