A lot has happened since 1898: the Great Depression, World War II, the Civil Rights Movement, the invention of the Internet, the ability to watch a gorgeous creature called a blue dragon dance elegantly in the palm of your hand because of said Internet and smartphones. It’s as mind-boggling as a 14-story building with a population of 200 being classified as an actual U.S. city! (Uh, yes — for real.)
Can you even begin to fathom what someone who is 116 years old has lived through? While we get nostalgic about rotary phones, Elvis, and the loss of Doritos 3D, someone who is over the age of 100 might long for a time when you could support his or herself as well as their extended family and start a scholarship fund on $7/week. In New York City!
We were curious to know what someone that old and wise would be like, so we found the five oldest people in the world. They were all born before 1900, they all happen to be women, and they all lived rich and fascinating lives — from one lady who refused to ever drive a car to another who did leg squats until she was 102!
But that’s not all! Discover more about these amazing women who were born before the discovery of the Milky Way and the polio vaccine!
Make sure to SHARE their incredible stories with everyone you know!
Jeralean Talley is 115 years and eight months old…
She is the fifth oldest person in the world and the third oldest in the U.S.
She was born on May 23, 1899, in Montrose, GA.
Jeralean Talley was one of 11 siblings and spent her youth living on a farm picking cotton and peanuts and digging up sweet potatoes. During her long life, she has driven a car only once. On her first attempt, she pushed the wrong pedal and flew into reverse instead of forward, which frightened the bejesus out of her! After that, she never wanted to try again.
Susannah Mushatt Jones is 115 years and six months old…
She is the fourth oldest living person in the world, the second oldest American, and the oldest living resident of New York.
She was born on July 6, 1899, in Lowndes County, AL.
When Susannah Mushatt Jones graduated from high school, she was accepted to the teaching program at Tuskegee Institute, the first black college in the U.S., but she was not able to afford the tuition. She then moved to New York during the early stages of the Harlem Renaissance. There she lived out the rest of her life, working as a nanny for $7/week, and with that money, was able to support her family back home and set up a scholarship for students at her old high school. She was married for five years before getting a divorce. She attributes her longevity to not being married long.
Emma Morano is 115 years and two months old…
She is the third oldest person in the world and the oldest living Italian and European.
She was born on November 29, 1899, in Civiasco, Vercelli (a commune within Piedmont, Italy).
Emma Morano, who has lived through World War II and the invention of the iPhone, resided in the mild climate of Lake Maggiore, Italy most of her life. She claims she owes her longevity to eating three eggs, a little chocolate, and drinking one glass of homemade brandy each day. Her sister, Angela Morano, who passed in 2011, lived to be 102.
Gertrude Weaver is 116 years and six months old…
She is the oldest living American and the second oldest person the world.
She was born on July 4, 1898, in southwestern Arkansas.
Gertrude Weaver was born on a farm on the border of Arkansas and Texas. She was married in 1915 and had four children. On her 116th birthday, one of her children — her son Joe — was still alive at the age of 93. She told the Associated Press that there are three ingredients to living a long life: “Trusting in the Lord, hard work, and loving everybody.”
Misao Okawa is 116 years and 10 months old…
She is the oldest living person in the world.
She was born on March 5, 1898, in Osaka, Japan.
Misao Okawa had three children, two of which are still alive. Okawa has said that sushi and sleep are the reasons why she has lived so long. But she’s also very athletic — when she was 102 she was found doing leg squats "to keep her body in shape.” Those squats paid off, because she walked until she was 110, at which point she began using a wheelchair to prevent falls.
Do you know any amazing old-timers? Someone who has lived to be in their late 80s or 90s? What’s the most amazing thing you remember about them? Let us know in the comments and make sure to SHARE this with all your friends and family!
h/t: imgur and Guinness World Records.
