World’s Oldest Person Celebrates 116th Birthday in the United Kingdom

Ethel Caterham, a British woman recognised as the world’s oldest living person, marked her 116th birthday on Thursday, months after inheriting the title following the death of Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas earlier this year.

Her care home in Surrey confirmed that the day would be observed quietly with her family, noting that Ethel wished to take the occasion “at her own pace”.

A Life Spanning Three Centuries

Born in 1909, just five years before the outbreak of the First World War, Caterham has lived through momentous changes across three centuries.

She has outlived her husband Norman—who passed away in 1976—and her two daughters, but remains surrounded by her extended family.

Recognition and Royal Messages

• Caterham is officially listed as the world’s oldest person by both the Gerontological Research Group (GRG) in the United States and the LongeviQuest database.
• The care home revealed that “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.”
• While she has chosen not to give interviews, she has previously received royal recognition:
  • On her 115th birthday, King Charles III sent her a personal letter congratulating her on a “truly remarkable milestone”.
  • This year, the care home suggested that a message from the monarch may be “her one concession, understandably”.

Remarkably, Caterham remains the last living subject of King Edward VII.

When asked about the secret behind her long life, Caterham quipped:
“Never arguing with anyone! I listen, and I do what I like.”

She has led an active and resilient life:

• Continued driving until nearly the age of 100.
• Played bridge well into her later years.
• Survived Covid-19 at the age of 110 in 2020.

That same year, she told the BBC she had always taken “everything in my stride, the highs and lows”.

Record-Breaking Longevity

• The all-time record for human longevity remains with Jeanne Calment of France, who lived 122 years and 164 days before passing away in 1997.
• In the United Kingdom, John Tinniswood briefly held the title of world’s oldest man in 2024 until his death in November at the age of 112.

With her 116 years of life, Caterham continues to embody extraordinary resilience, a living bridge between eras of British history stretching from Edwardian England to the modern day.