Aug 21, 11:23 AM

World’s Oldest Person Ethel Caterham Turns 116 in Quiet Surrey Celebration

Ethel Caterham, officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest living person, turned 116 on Thursday. The British supercentenarian assumed the title in April following the death of Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, also aged 116. Caterham marked the milestone quietly at her Surrey care home, with staff saying she wished to "enjoy it at her own pace" and might make an exception only for a birthday greeting from King Charles III. Born on 21 August 1909 in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, Caterham has witnessed events stretching from the start of World War I to the Covid-19 pandemic, which she survived at age 110. She married Norman Caterham in 1933 and worked as a clerk during the Second World War. The great-grandmother of five attributes her longevity to a positive outlook and "never arguing with anyone". She drove until nearly 100 and continued playing bridge well into her later years. Caterham outlived her husband, who died in 1976, as well as her two daughters, and is now supported by three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. While she extends the record for Britain’s oldest living person, the benchmark for human lifespan remains the 122 years reached by France’s Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997.