Ethel Caterham, a British resident, has celebrated her 117th birthday, making her the oldest living person and the first British citizen known to have reached this age.
Ethel Caterham, who resides in a care facility in Surrey approximately 25 miles from London, turned 117 on Friday, cementing her position as the world's oldest living person according to Guinness World Records. The milestone makes her the first person of British nationality to reach this age. Caterham expressed contentment with her celebrations, stating that she spent the day with family and friends and looked forward to the year ahead.
Caterham's life has encompassed extraordinary historical events spanning over a century. Born on August 21, 1909, in Hampshire during the reign of King Edward VII, she is now the last surviving person from that era. Her experiences include living through two World Wars, witnessing the Titanic sinking, and surviving the Russian Revolution. She also contracted COVID-19 in 2020 at age 110, making her among the oldest known survivors of the pandemic.
Her personal journey reflected considerable adventure and independence. At 18, she travelled alone to India, where she worked as a nanny for a military family. She later married British Army Major Norman Caterham in 1933 and lived in various locations including Hong Kong, where she established a kindergarten. The couple eventually returned to Britain and had two daughters. Caterham is survived by three granddaughters and five great-grandchildren.
Caterham's achievement was acknowledged by the world's oldest man, João Marinho Neto from Brazil, who sent birthday wishes. She has also received recognition from British royalty, having been visited by King Charles in September during celebrations of her 116th birthday. Despite her remarkable longevity, Caterham remains below the verified record for longest human lifespan, held by Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who lived to 122 years and 164 days.
