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This list presents a chronological record of individuals who have held the title of World’s Oldest Person. While most titleholders were recognized during their lifetimes, some were identified and confirmed posthumously. LongeviQuest researchers examine records of both living and deceased individuals to ensure the accuracy and integrity of this chronology.
| From: | To: | Reign: | Name: | Age when oldest: | Lived in: | Sex: | Born: | Died: | Lifespan: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Dec 1951 | 14 Jan 1954 | >2 years, 26 days | Nancy Merriman | ? - 112 | US | F | 19 Dec 1841 | 14 Jan 1954 | 112 years, 26 days |
| 14 Jan 1954 | 24 Oct 1955 | 1 year, 283 days | Betsy Baker | 111 - 113 | US | F | 20 Aug 1842 | 24 Oct 1955 | 113 years, 65 days |
| 24 Oct 1955 | 16 Dec 1956 | 1 year, 53 days | Jennie Howell | 110 - 111 | UK/US | F | 11 Feb 1845 | 16 Dec 1956 | 111 years, 309 days |
| 16 Dec 1956 | 4 Jan 1959 | 2 year, 19 days | Catherine Waller | 108-110 | US | F | 1 Dec 1848 | 4 Jan 1959 | 110 years, 34 days |
| 4 Jan 1959 | 7 Oct 1959 | 276 days | Christina Karnebeek-Backs | 109 - 110 | NL | F | 2 Oct 1849 | 7 Oct 1959 | 110 years, 5 days |
| 7 Oct 1959 | 9 Oct 1960 | 1 year, 2 days | Robert Alexander Early | 109 - 111 | US | M | 8 Oct 1849 | 9 Oct 1960 | 111 years, 1 day |
| 9 Oct 1960 | 30 Dec 1964 | 4 years, 82 days | Mary Kelly | 109 - 113 | US | F | 7 Jun 1851 | 30 Dec 1964 | 113 years, 206 days |
| 30 Dec 1964 | 6 Mar 1965 | 66 days | Elizabeth Kensley | 109 | UK | F | 12 May 1855 | 6 Mar 1965 | 109 years, 298 days |
| 6 Mar 1965 | 6 Aug 1965 | 153 days | William Fullingim | 109-110 | US | M | 7 Jul 1855 | 6 Aug 1965 | 110 years, 30 days |
| 6 Aug 1965 | 21 Oct 1968 | 3 year, 76 days | Narcissa Rickman | 109 - 113 | US | F | 13 Sep 1855 | 21 Oct 1968 | 113 years, 38 days |
| 21 Oct 1968 | 4 May 1969 | 195 days | Marie Bernatkova | 110 - 111 | CZ | F | 22 Oct 1857 | 4 May 1969 | 111 years, 194 days |
| 4 May 1969 | 11 Jan 1970 | 252 days | Ada Roe | 111 | UK | F | 6 Feb 1858 | 11 Jan 1970 | 111 years, 339 days |
| 11 Jan 1970 | 10 Jul 1972 | 2 years, 181 days | Kitty Harvey | 109 - 112 | US | F | 12 Jan 1860 | 10 Jul 1972 | 112 years, 180 days |
| 10 July 1972 | 18 Aug 1973 | 1 year, 39 days | Alice Stevenson | 111 - 112 | UK | F | 10 Jul 1861 | 18 Aug 1973 | 112 years, 39 days |
| 18 Aug 1973 | 10 Jan 1974 | 145 days | Ettie Crist | 111 | US | F | 14 Feb 1862 | 10 Jan 1974 | 111 years, 330 days |
| 10 Jan 1974 | 31 May 1975 | 1 year, 141 days | Mito Umeda | 110 - 112 | JP | F | 27 Mar 1863 | 31 May 1975 | 112 years, 65 days |
| 31 May 1975 | 16 Nov 1976 | 1 year, 169 days | Niwa Kawamoto | 111 - 113 | JP | F | 17 Sep 1863 | 16 Nov 1976 | 113 years, 60 days |
| 16 Nov 1976 | 5 Nov 1978 | 1 year, 354 days | Alice Coles | 111 - 113 | US | F | 28 Aug 1865 | 5 Nov 1978 | 113 years, 69 days |
| 5 Nov 1978 | 27 Jan 1981 | 2 years, 83 days | Eliza Underwood | 111 - 113 | US | F | 15 Mar 1867 | 27 Jan 1981 | 113 years, 318 days |
| 27 Jan 1981 | 8 Mar 1981 | 40 days | Augustine Tessier | 112 | FR | F | 2 Jan 1869 | 8 Mar 1981 | 112 years, 65 days |
| 8 Mar 1981 | 13 Nov 1982 | 1 year, 250 days | Nellie Spencer | 111 - 113 | US | F | 24 Aug 1869 | 13 Nov 1982 | 113 years, 81 days |
| 13 Nov 1982 | 13 Oct 1983 | 334 days | Emma Wilson | 112 - 113 | US | F | 12 May 1870 | 13 Oct 1983 | 113 years, 154 days |
| 13 Oct 1983 | 21 Oct 1986 | 3 years, 8 days | Augusta Holtz | 112 - 115 | GE/US | F | 3 Aug 1871 | 21 Oct 1986 | 115 years, 79 days |
| 21 Oct 1986 | 2 Feb 1987 | 104 days | Mary McKinney | 113 | US | F | 30 May 1873 | 2 Feb 1987 | 113 years, 248 days |
| 2 Feb 1987 | 27 Dec 1987 | 328 days | Anna Eliza Williams | 113 - 114 | UK | F | 2 Jun 1873 | 27 Dec 1987 | 114 years, 208 days |
| 27 Dec 1987 | 11 Jan 1988 | 15 days | Florence Knapp | 114 | US | F | 10 Oct 1873 | 11 Jan 1988 | 114 years, 93 days |
| 11 Jan 1988 | 4 Aug 1997 | 9 years, 205 days | Jeanne Calment | 112 - 122 | FR | F | 21 Feb 1875 | 4 Aug 1997 | 122 years, 164 days |
| 4 Aug 1997 | 16 Apr 1998 | 255 days | Marie-Louise Meilleur | 116 - 117 | CA | F | 29 Aug 1880 | 16 Apr 1998 | 117 years, 230 days |
| 16 Apr 1998 | 30 Dec 1999 | 1 year, 258 days | Sarah Knauss | 117 - 119 | US | F | 24 Sep 1880 | 30 Dec 1999 | 119 years, 97 days |
| 30 Dec 1999 | 2 Nov 2000 | 308 days | Eva Morris | 114 | UK | F | 8 Nov 1885 | 2 Nov 2000 | 114 years, 360 days |
| 2 Nov 2000 | 6 Jun 2001 | 216 days | Marie Brémont | 114 - 115 | FR | F | 25 Apr 1886 | 6 Jun 2001 | 115 years, 42 days |
| 5 Jun 2001 | 18 Mar 2002 | 286 days | Maud Farris-Luse | 114 - 115 | US | F | 21 Feb 1887 | 18 Mar 2002 | 115 years, 25 days |
| 18 Mar 2002 | 28 May 2002 | 71 days | Grace Clawson | 114 | UK/US | F | 15 Nov 1887 | 28 May 2002 | 114 years, 194 days |
| 28 May 2002 | 21 Aug 2002 | 85 days | Adelina Domingues | 114 | CV/US | F | 19 Feb 1888 | 21 Aug 2002 | 114 years, 183 days |
| 21 Aug 2002 | 29 Dec 2002 | 130 days | Mae Harrington | 113 | US | F | 20 Jan 1889 | 29 Dec 2002 | 113 years, 343 days |
| 29 Dec 2002 | 28 Sep 2003 | 273 days | Yūkichi Chūganji | 113-114 | JP | M | 23 Mar 1889 | 28 Sep 2003 | 114 years, 189 days |
| 28 Sep 2003 | 13 Nov 2003 | 46 days | Mitoyo Kawate | 114 | JP | F | 15 May 1889 | 13 Nov 2003 | 114 years, 182 days |
| 13 Nov 2003 | 29 May 2004 | 198 days | Ramona Trinidad Iglesias Jordan | 114 | PR | F | 1 Sep 1889 | 29 May 2004 | 114 years, 271 days |
| 29 May 2004 | 27 Aug 2006 | 2 years, 90 days | María Capovilla | 114 - 116 | EC | F | 14 Sep 1889 | 27 Aug 2006 | 116 years, 347 days |
| 27 Aug 2006 | 11 Dec 2006 | 106 days | Elizabeth Bolden | 116 | US | F | 15 Aug 1890 | 11 Dec 2006 | 116 years, 118 days |
| 11 Dec 2006 | 24 Jan 2007 | 44 days | Emiliano Mercado del Toro | 115 | PR | M | 21 Aug 1891 | 24 Jan 2007 | 115 years, 156 days |
| 24 Jan 2007 | 28 Jan 2007 | 4 days | Emma Tillman | 114 | US | F | 22 Nov 1892 | 28 Jan 2007 | 114 years, 67 days |
| 28 Jan 2007 | 13 Aug 2007 | 196 days | Yone Minagawa | 114 | JP | F | 4 Jan 1893 | 13 Aug 2007 | 114 years, 221 days |
| 13 Aug 2007 | 26 Nov 2008 | 1 year, 105 days | Edna Parker | 114 - 115 | US | F | 20 Apr 1893 | 26 Nov 2008 | 115 years, 220 days |
| 26 Nov 2008 | 2 Jan 2009 | 37 days | Maria de Jesus | 115 | PT | F | 10 Sep 1893 | 2 Jan 2009 | 115 years, 114 days |
| 2 Jan 2009 | 11 Sep 2009 | 252 days | Gertrude Baines | 114 - 115 | US | F | 6 Apr 1894 | 11 Sep 2009 | 115 years, 158 days |
| 11 Sep 2009 | 2 May 2010 | 233 days | Kama Chinen | 114 | JP | F | 10 May 1895 | 2 May 2010 | 114 years, 357 days |
| 2 May 2010 | 4 Nov 2010 | 186 days | Eugénie Blanchard | 114 | FR | F | 16 Feb 1896 | 4 Nov 2010 | 114 years, 261 days |
| 4 Nov 2010 | 18 Nov 2010 | 14 days | Ana Nogueira de Luca | 114 | BR | F | 21 Jun 1896 | 18 Nov 2010 | 114 years, 150 days |
| 18 Nov 2010 | 21 Jun 2011 | 215 days | Maria Gomes Valentim | 114 | BR | F | 9 Jul 1896 | 21 Jun 2011 | 114 years, 347 days |
| 21 Jun 2011 | 4 Dec 2012 | 1 year, 166 days | Besse Cooper | 114 - 116 | US | F | 26 Aug 1896 | 4 Dec 2012 | 116 years, 100 days |
| 4 Dec 2012 | 17 Dec 2012 | 13 days | Dina Manfredini | 115 | IT/US | F | 4 Apr 1897 | 17 Dec 2012 | 115 years, 257 days |
| 17 Dec 2012 | 12 Jun 2013 | 177 days | Jiroemon Kimura | 115 - 116 | JP | M | 19 Apr 1897 | 12 Jun 2013 | 116 years, 54 days |
| 12 Jun 2013 | 1 Apr 2015 | 1 year, 293 days | Misao Okawa | 115 - 117 | JP | F | 5 Mar 1898 | 1 Apr 2015 | 117 years, 27 days |
| 31 Mar 2015 | 6 Apr 2015 | 6 days | Gertrude Weaver | 116 | US | F | 4 Jul 1898 | 6 Apr 2015 | 116 years, 276 days |
| 6 Apr 2015 | 17 Jun 2015 | 72 days | Jeralean Talley | 115 - 116 | US | F | 23 May 1899 | 17 Jun 2015 | 116 years, 25 days |
| 17 Jun 2015 | 12 May 2016 | 330 days | Susannah Mushatt Jones | 115 - 116 | US | F | 6 Jul 1899 | 12 May 2016 | 116 years, 311 days |
| 12 May 2016 | 15 Apr 2017 | 337 days | Emma Morano | 116 - 117 | IT | F | 29 Nov 1899 | 15 Apr 2017 | 117 years, 137 days |
| 15 Apr 2017 | 15 Sep 2017 | 153 days | Violet Brown | 117 | JM | F | 10 Mar 1900 | 15 Sep 2017 | 117 years, 189 days |
| 15 Sep 2017 | 21 Apr 2018 | 217 days | Nabi Tajima | 117 | JP | F | 4 Aug 1900 | 21 April 2018 | 117 years, 260 days |
| 21 Apr 2018 | 22 Jul 2018 | 92 days | Chiyo Miyako | 116 - 117 | JP | F | 2 May 1901 | 22 Jul 2018 | 117 years, 81 days |
| 22 Jul 2018 | 19 Apr 2022 | 3 years, 271 days | Kane Tanaka | 115 - 119 | JP | F | 2 Jan 1903 | 19 April 2022 | 119 years, 107 days |
| 19 Apr 2022 | 17 Jan 2023 | 273 days | Lucile Randon | 118 | FR | F | 11 Feb 1904 | 17 Jan 2023 | 118 years, 340 days |
| 17 Jan 2023 | 19 Aug 2024 | 1 year, 215 days | María Branyas Morera | 115 - 117 | US/SP | F | 4 Mar 1907 | 19 Aug 2024 | 117 years, 168 days |
| 19 Aug 2024 | 29 December 2024 | 132 days | Tomiko Itooka | 116 | JP | F | 23 May 1908 | 29 December 2024 | 116 years, 220 days |
| 29 December 2024 | 30 April 2025 | 122 days | Inah Canabarro Lucas | 116 | BR | F | 8 June 1908 | 30 April 2025 | 116 years, 326 days |
| 30 April 2025 | Living | Current titleholder | Ethel Caterham | 115 - 116* | UK | F | 21 August 1909 | Living | Living |
This chronology was compiled by Jimmy Lindberg and officially confirmed by the LongeviQuest Global Validation Commission. Learn more about how these records are validated.