World's Oldest Person Titleholders (since 1955) Disputed Cases in Italics  
(as of June 18, 2011)
Birthplace Name Born Died Age Deathplace Years When Age Race Sex Length of Reign Reign Age at accession Case added to GRG Tables
  Years Days Oldest Range Years Days Length  Years Days (as world's oldest person; only for retroactive case additions)
1 England (UK) Betsy Baker Aug. 20, 1842 Oct. 24, 1955 113 65 U.S. (NE) -1955 -113 W F (years)
2 U.S. (VA) Martha Graham Dec 1844 June 25, 1959 114 c180 U.S. (VA) 1955-1959 110-114 B F 3 244 3.67 110 c301
3 U.S. (TX) James Henry Brett, Jr. 1 July 25, 1849 Feb. 10, 1961 111 200 U.S. (TX) 1959-1961 109-111 W M 1 230 1.63 109 335
4 U.S. (MI) Mary Kelly June  7, 1851 Dec. 30, 1964 113 206 U.S. (CA) 1961-1964 109-113 W F 3 323 3.88 109 248 Feb.  7, 2011
5 England (UK) Elizabeth Kensley May 12, 1855 Mar.  6, 1965 109 298 England (UK) 1964-1965 109 W F 1 149 1.41 108 149 Apr. 27, 2007
6 Germany Auguste Pahl Nov. 23, 1855[1] July 24, 1965 109 243 Germany 1965 109 W F 2 60 2.16 109 103 Sept.  2, 2006
7 England (UK) Hannah Smith Jan.  7, 1856 Jan. 10, 1966 110 3 England (UK) 1965-1966 109-110 W F 0 170 0.47 109 198 July 20, 2006
8 England (UK) John Turner June 15, 1856 Mar. 21, 1968 111 280 England (UK) 1966-1968 109-111 W M 2 70 2.19 109 209  
9 South Africa Johanna Booyson Jan. 17, 1857 June  16, 1968 111 151 South Africa 1968 111 W F 0 87 0.24 111 64
10 Czechoslovakia Marie Bernatkova Oct. 22, 1857 fl Oct 22, 1968 111 + Czechoslovakia 1968 110-111 W F ? 128+ NA 110 ?
11 England (UK) Ada Rowe Feb.  6, 1858 Jan. 11, 1970 111 339 England (UK) 1968-1970 110-111 W F 1 ? NA 110 ?
12 Spain Josefa Salas Mateo July 14, 1860 Feb. 27, 1973 112 228 Spain 1970-1973 109-112 W F 3 47 3.13 109 181
13 England (UK) Alice Stevenson July 10, 1861 Aug. 18, 1973 112 39 England (UK) 1973 111-112 W F 0 172 0.47 111 232
14 N. Ireland (UK) Elizabeth Watkins Mar. 10, 1863 Oct. 31, 1973 110 235 N. Ireland (UK) 1973 110 W F 0 74 0.2 110 161
15 Japan Mito Umeta Mar. 27, 1863 May 31, 1975 112 65 Japan 1973-1975 110-112 O F 1 212 1.58 110 218
16 Japan Niwa Kawamoto Aug.  5, 1863 Nov. 16, 1976 113 103 Japan 1975-1976 111-113 O F 1 169 1.46 111 299
17 U.S. (MO) Sophia De Muth 2. June 30, 1866 Dec.  2, 1977 111 155 U.S. (MO) 1976-1977 110-111 W F 1 16 1.04 110 139
18 France Marie-Virginie Duhem Aug.  2, 1866 Apr. 25, 1978 111 266 France 1977-1978 111 W F 0 144 0.39 111 122
19 U.S. (IL) Fannie Thomas Apr. 14, 1867 Jan. 22, 1981 113 283 U.S. (CA) 1978-1981 111-113 W F 2 272 2.75 111 11 original 1999 list
20 France Augustine Teissier Jan.  2, 1869 Mar.  8, 1981 112 65 France 1981 112 W F 0 45 0.12 112 20 original 1999 list
21 U.S. (NH) Nellie Spencer Aug.  24, 1869 Nov. 13, 1982 113 81 U.S. (NJ) 1981-1982 112-113 W F 1 250 1.68 111 196 July 12, 2002
22 U.S. (MO) Emma Wilson May 12, 1870 Oct. 13, 1983 113 154 U.S. (MO) 1982-1983 112-113 W F 0 334 0.92 112 185 July 12, 2002
23 U.S. (VA) Mathew Beard 3.  July  9, 1870 Feb. 16, 1985 114 222 U.S. (FL) 1983-1985 113-114 B M 1 126 1.35 113 96 July  1, 2003
24 U.S. (IL) Ollie Bay Nov. 11, 1872 Dec. 31, 1985 113 50 U.S. (IL) 1985 112-113 W F 0 318 0.87 112 97 July 12, 2002
25 U.S. (IL) Mamie Eva Keith Mar. 22, 1873 Sept. 20, 1986 113 182 U.S. (IL) 1985-1986 112-113 W F 0 263 0.72 112 336 original 1999 list
26 U.S. (CA) Mary McKinney May 30, 1873 Feb.  2, 1987 113 248 U.S. (CA) 1986-1987 113 W F 0 135 0.37 113 113 original 1999 list
27 England (UK) Anna Eliza Williams June  2, 1873 Dec. 27, 1987 114 208 Wales (UK) 1987 113-114 W F 0 328 0.9 113 245 original 1999 list
28 U.S. (PA) Florence Knapp Oct. 10, 1873 Jan. 11, 1988 114 93 U.S. (PA) 1987-1988 114 W F 0 15 0.04 114 78 original 1999 list
29 U.S. (FL) Carrie White 1 Nov. 18, 1874 Feb. 14, 1991 116 88 U.S. (FL) 1988-1991 113-116 W F 3 34 3.09 113 54 original 1999 list
30 France Jeanne Calment  Feb. 21, 1875 Aug.  4, 1997 122 164 France 1991-1997 115-122 W F 6 171 6.47 115 358 original 1999 list
31 Canada (Que) Marie-Louise Meilleur Aug. 29, 1880 Apr. 16, 1998 117 230 Canada (ONT) 1997-1998 116-117 W F 0 255 0.7 116 340 original 1999 list
32 U.S. (PA) Sarah Knauss Sept. 24, 1880 Dec. 30, 1999 119 97 U.S. (PA) 1998-1999 117-119 W F 1 258 1.71 117 204 original 1999 list
33 England (UK) Eva Morris Nov.  8, 1885 Nov.  2, 2000 114 360 England (UK) 1999-2000 114 W F 0 308 0.84 114 52 Mar.  3, 2000
34 France Marie Bremont Apr. 25, 1886 June  6, 2001 115 42 France 2000-2001 114-115 W F 0 216 0.59 114 191 original 1999 list
35 U.S. (MI) Maud Farris-Luse Jan. 21, 1887 Mar. 18, 2002 115 56 U.S. (MI) 2001-2002 114-115 W F 0 285 0.78 114 136 May 13, 2001
36 Japan Kamato Hongo 4. Sept. 16, 1887 Oct. 31, 2003 116 45 Japan 2002-2003 114-116 O F 1 227 1.62 114 183 Apr. 30, 1999
37 Japan Mitoyo Kawate May 15, 1889 Nov. 13, 2003 114 182 Japan 2003 114 O F 0 13 0.04 114 169 2000
38 Puerto Rico Ramona Trinidad Iglesias-Jordan Aug. 31, 1889 May 29, 2004 114 272 Puerto Rico 2003-2004 114 W F 0 198 0.54 114 74 Mar. 20, 2004 5.
39 Ecuador Maria Esther de Capovilla Sept. 14, 1889 Aug. 27, 2006 116 347 Ecuador 2004-2006 114-116 W F 2 90 2.25 114 258 Dec.  9, 2005 6. 
40 U.S. (TN) Elizabeth Bolden Aug. 15, 1890 Dec. 11, 2006 116 118 U.S. (TN) 2006 116 B F 0 106 0.29 116 12 Apr. 22, 2005
41 Puerto Rico Emiliano Mercado Del Toro Aug. 21, 1891 Jan. 24, 2007 115 156 Puerto Rico 2006-2007 115 H M 0 44 0.12 115 112 Dec.  7, 2004
42 U.S. (NC) Emma Tillman Nov. 22, 1892 Jan. 28, 2007 114 67 U.S. (CT) 2007 114 B F 0 4 0.01 114 63 Dec. 31, 2005
43 Japan Yone Minagawa Jan.  4, 1893 Aug. 13, 2007 114 221 Japan 2007 114 O F 0 197 0.54 114 24[2] Sept. 15, 2004
44 U.S. (IN) Edna Parker Apr. 20, 1893 Nov. 26, 2008 115 220 U.S. (IN) 2007-2008 114-115 W F 1 105 1.29 114 115 Apr.  1, 2005
45 Portugal Maria de Jesus Sept. 10, 1893 Jan.  2, 2009 115 114 Portugal 2008-2009 115 W F 0 37 0.1 115 77 Sept. 11, 2004
46 U.S.. (GA) Gertrude Baines Apr.  6, 1894 Sept. 11, 2009 115 158 U.S. (CA) 2009 114-115 B F 0 252 0.69 114 271 Sept. 10, 2006
47 Japan Kama Chinen May 10, 1895 May  2, 2010 114 357 Japan 2009-2010 114 O F 0 233 0.64 114 124[3] Sept. 20, 2008
48 France Eugenie Blanchard Feb. 16, 1896 Nov.  4, 2010 114 261 France (St. Barts) 2010 114 W F 0 186 0.51 114 75 Aug.  9, 2007
49 Brazil Maria Gomes Valentim July  9, 1896 114* 344* lives in U.S. (GA) 2010- 114* W F 0* 226* 0.62* 114 118 May 18, 2011 7.
* Still living on June 18, 2011    
Notes:  
1. Age later called into question by census data. Issue of positive identification remains unresolved.
2. Support for the Shigechiyo Izumi claim from Japan (June 29, 1865?-February 21, 1986) was withdrawn by Guinness World Records, effective Sept. 14, 2010. 56.46 note: 56.46/47 (not inc. living person and two N.A. cases)=1.20 years avg. length of reign
3. The Mathew Beard case was accepted by the SSA study as age 114, based on an early census match to SS-5 records. The circumstantial census match was not unequivocal, thus he is not on the "skeptics list." Mr. Beard claimed to be 116.
4. Age late called into question by Belgian researcher Michel Poulain. Ms. Hongo's official age in documents remains 116, but Poulain believes she was 3-6 years younger than claimed.
5. Documents for Ramona Trinidad Iglesias-Jordan case not submitted and accepted until March 20, 2004. Charlotte Benkner (Nov. 16, 1889-May 14, 2004) held the interim title.  
6. Documents for Maria Capovilla not submitted until August 30, 2005 and case was officially accepted Dec. 9, 2005. Interim titleholders were Hendrikje Van Andel-Schipper of the Netherlands (June 29, 1890-Aug. 27, 2005) and Elizabeth Bolden of the U.S. (Aug. 15, 1890-Dec. 11, 2006). Ms. Bolden regained her title with the death of Ms. Capovilla in August 2006.
7. Documents for Maria Gomes Valentim not submitted until May 9, 2011 and case was officially accepted May 18, 2011. Interim titleholders were Eunice Sanborn of the U.S. (July 20 1896-Jan 31 2011) and Besse Cooper of the U.S. (born Aug. 26, 1896).

[1]
Robert Douglas Young:
case may be supplanted by William Fullinghim
[2]
Robert D Young:
It was actually the next day in Japan when Ms Minagawa acceded to the title. '24' is used here for convenience
[3]
Robert D Young:
It was actually the next day in Japan when Ms Minagawa acceded to the title. '24' is used here for convenience