Alive & Kicking: The 20 Oldest Living Humans In History

Living Life To The Fullest

The passage of time affects everyone differently. For a rare few, it simply kept going. Across continents and eras, these individuals lived on through shifting worlds and far outlasted expectations beyond anything anyone could have imagined. Here, we take a closer look at 20 of the oldest documented lives in human history. 

1. Jeanne Calment (122 years, 164 days)

Jeanne Calment laughed at death and lived through two world wars. Today, she holds the record as humanity's longest-living soul. She was born in 1875, met Vincent van Gogh, reportedly cycled until age 100, and lived independently until 110.

2. Kane Tanaka (119 years, 107 days)

Celebrated with cola and calligraphy, Kane Tanaka became Japan's pride. Born in 1903, she survived cancer twice and ran a noodle shop before turning 100. Tanaka was slated to be a torchbearer in Fukuoka, but she withdrew. Her passing ended an era in longevity history.

3. Sarah Knauss (119 years, 97 days)

Grace met grit in Sarah Knauss, who claimed she lived so long because she never let anything upset her. Counting from 1880, she saw three different centuries. By 1999, Knauss was the world’s oldest person, quietly knitting in Pennsylvania.

4. Lucile Randon (118 years, 340 days)

A 118-year-old nun surviving COVID-19 in a French nursing home? That's Lucile Randon. The teacher-turned-Sister spent over seven decades in religious service. Blind and wheelchair-bound by 100, she still played music and prayed daily. Faith structured her long, steady life.

5. Nabi Tajima (117 years, 260 days)

Born in 1900 on a small Japanese island, Nabi Tajima raised nine children and witnessed over 160 descendants. She became the world's oldest person in 2017. Her diet included rice, miso soup, and small fish. Interestingly, longevity ran in Tajima’s family—her siblings also lived past 90.

6. Marie-Louise Meilleur (117 years, 230 days)

Marie-Louise Meilleur lost two husbands and outlived four children, yet joked she was "too busy to die." Born in 1880, she spoke only French, became a vegetarian late in life, and claimed hard work kept her going, not supplements. Meilleur passed peacefully in Ontario.

7. Violet Brown (117 years, 189 days)

As for Violet Brown, she believed hard work and faith built her bones. She managed a burial registry and attended church weekly. Brown was the last living subject of Queen Victoria. Her record placed Jamaica on the global longevity map in 2017.

8. Maria Branyas Morera (117 years, 168 days)

With a lifespan stretching from World War I to a global pandemic, Maria Branyas Morera defied the odds. She moved from California to Spain when young and spent her final years in a Catalan care home, tweeting insights with her daughter's help.

9. Emma Morano (117 years, 137 days)

Emma Morano saw three centuries from her small town in Piedmont. By 2017, she held the title of the world's oldest person and received tributes from global leaders. Having separated from her husband in the 1930s, Morano swore by independence and raw eggs.

10. Chiyo Miyako (117 years, 81 days)

A lover of elegance and tradition, Chiyo Miyako was praised for her refined handwriting and gentle manners. Residing in Japan's Kanagawa Prefecture, she earned national attention in 2018 as the country's oldest citizen. Her family often called her a living treasure.

11. Christian Mortensen (115 years, 252 days)

Born in Denmark, Christian Mortensen migrated to the U.S. in 1903 and led a quiet life as a tailor and milkman. He never drank alcohol but swore by cigars and a sense of humor. In 1998, he became the oldest verified man at the time.

12. Misao Okawa (117 years, 27 days)

Misao Okawa ran a kimono business and raised three children, all while watching Japan's transformation from empire to modern power. Once, reporters asked about her secret; she answered, "Sushi and sleep." At age 117, she still enjoyed family visits.

13. Francisca Celsa Dos Santos (116 years, 349 days)

In a modest Brazilian home near Fortaleza, Francisca lived quietly but made history. She had five children and outlived them all. Unlike many in her region, Francisca's documents were consistently recorded—an administrative rarity that helped validate her nearly 117-year life.

14. Maria Capovilla (116 years, 347 days)

High society events and tea rituals filled Maria Capovilla's early life in Ecuador. Her father was a colonel, and she never touched alcohol or tobacco. She kept her mind sharp with daily reading and briefly held the world's oldest person title before passing away.

15. Susannah Mushatt Jones (116 years, 311 days)

Nicknamed "Miss Susie," Jones once gave scholarships to Black women entering college. Born in Alabama, she later settled in Brooklyn, where she lived until 2016. With no children of her own, Jones credited love and rest for her longevity.

16. Gertrude Weaver (116 years, 276 days)

Born near the turn of the 20th century, Gertrude Weaver spent her later years in Arkansas, where she remained socially active into her hundreds. She enjoyed dancing and gentle exercise. In 2015, Weaver briefly held the title of the world's oldest living person.

17. Besse Cooper (116 years, 100 days)

In her youth, Besse Cooper marched for women's suffrage. A former schoolteacher from Georgia, she lived independently until age 105 and attributed her long life to minding her own business. Recognized by Guinness in 2011, she passed peacefully in a nursing home.

18. Jiroemon Kimura (116 years, 54 days)

No man has ever lived longer. Jiroemon Kimura, a retired postman from Kyoto, followed a calorie-restricted diet and stayed mentally active through reading. He became the oldest verified male in recorded history in 2013 and received handwritten congratulations from even the Emperor.

19. Jeralean Talley (116 years, 25 days)

Fishing trips and church Sundays shaped Jeralean Talley's life in Michigan. She bowled until 104 and credited God and clean living for her strength. Crowned the world's oldest person in 2015, she passed just a month after her 116th birthday.

20. Dina Manfredini (115 years, 257 days)

Originally from Italy, Dina Manfredini moved to Iowa in 1920 and later worked in a munitions factory during World War II. A mother of four, she lived independently until age 110, doing her own cleaning. At 115, she briefly held the title of world’s oldest person before passing in 2012.