Ethel Caterham celebrating her 113th birthday in 2022. Not sure who is to her right, but he seems headed toward a world record as well | Photo: GCG
She’s 115 years old and 254 days old today, May 2nd, and she attributes her longevity to her attitude towards life. Her name is Ethel Caterham from Great Britain, and she is now considered to be the eldest woman on Earth since the death on Wednesday of Inah Canabarro Lucas of Brazil.
According to the Gerontology Research Group Supercentenarian Rankings List, which accurately tracks the world’s oldest persons, Ina died yesterday at the age of 116 years, 326 days old. She was born in 1908 in São Francisco de Assis, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Hallmark Lakeview Luxury Care Home in Lightwather, Surrey, where Ethel is a resident, posted photos of her on Facebook slicing birthday cake and wearing a “115” tiara. “Huge congratulations to Lakeview resident Ethel on becoming the oldest person in the world! What an incredible milestone and a true testament to a life well-lived,” the post reads.
‘I listen and I do what I like’
Ethel has claimed her longevity is down to her attitude toward life. “I’ve taken everything in my stride, the highs and lows,” she told BBC Radio Surrey in 2020, adding she has a maxim of “never arguing with anyone”. She said, “I listen and I do what I like.”
Last surviving subject of King Edward VII
“Your strength, spirit, and wisdom are an inspiration to us all. Here’s to celebrating your remarkable journey!” it adds. It is believed that Ethel is the last surviving subject of King Edward VII, who was the King of the United Kingdom and the Emperor of India from 1901 until he died in 1910.
Born on 21 August 1909 in Shopton Bellinger, in Hampshire, England, Ethel Caterham currently resides in Ash Vale, Surrey. She became the oldest known living person in the UK on 22 January 2022, following the death of 112-year-old Mollie Walker.
Raised in Tidworth, Wiltshire, Ethel was the second-youngest of eight siblings. Her sister Gladys lived to 104. In 1927, at the age of 18, Ethel embarked on a journey to India, where she worked as a nanny for a British family for three years.
Caterham met the love of her life, Norman (1905–1976), a major in the British Army, at a dinner party. After their marriage, they resided in Harnham, England, before the army sent them to Hong Kong and Gibraltar.
During her time in Hong Kong, Ethel Caterham established a nursery for local and British children, where she taught English, games, and crafts. In Gibraltar, she and her husband started a family, ultimately raising two daughters in the UK. Sadly, Norman passed away in 1976.
The oldest known survivor of COVID
Notably, Ethel continued to drive until she was 97 years old. Currently, she resides in a care home in Ash Vale, Surrey. Also worth noting is that she contracted COVID-19, but, as is clear, she successfully recovered to become one of the oldest known survivors of the disease.
Guinness World Records officially confirmed Ethel’s status as the world’s oldest person following Canabarro Lucas’s death.
The oldest person ever whose age has been independently verified is Jeanne Calment (1875–1997) of France, who lived 122 years and 164 days.
The oldest verified man ever is Jiroemon Kimura (1897–2013) of Japan, who lived to the age of 116 years and 54 days.
The oldest living man is João Marinho Neto, from Brazil. He was born on October 5, 1912, and is 112 years and 210 days old as of May 2, 2025. The Gerontology Research Group and Guinness World Records have validated his age.
