World’s Oldest Person, Ethel Caterham, Marks 116th Birthday
The world’s oldest living person, Ethel Caterham of Surrey, England, has celebrated her 116th birthday, cementing her place in history as Britain’s longest-lived citizen.
Born on 21 August 1909 in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, Caterham became the world’s oldest woman and oldest person following the death of Brazil’s Inah Canabarro Lucas earlier this year.
In April, she surpassed Charlotte Hughes’s record to become the oldest Briton in history.
At 116, she is believed to be the last surviving person born in 1909.
TIMES OF NIGERIA reports that Caterham’s life has spanned an extraordinary era.
At 18, she travelled alone to India, working as a nanny before marrying Major Norman Caterham in 1933 at Salisbury Cathedral.
The couple lived abroad in Hong Kong before settling in Surrey and raising two daughters, Gem and Anne.
Ethel was widowed in 1976 and has since outlived both her children, though she remains surrounded by three granddaughters and five great-grandchildren.
Once asked about her secret to longevity, Caterham replied: “Say yes to every opportunity because you never know what it will lead to. Have a positive mental attitude and have everything in moderation.”
Remarkably, she also survived COVID-19 at the age of 110.
