World's Oldest Person Titleholders (since 1955) disputed cases in italics  
(as of September 11, 2007)
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 Canada (Que) Joseph Saint-Amour Feb. 26, 1852 Mar. 16, 1962 110 18 Canada (Que) 1961-1962 108-110 W M 1 34 1.09 108 349 Mar. 30, 2006
5 Sweden Lovisa Svensson Nov. 20, 1853 Feb. 17, 1963 109 89 Sweden 1962-1963 108-109 W F 0 338 0.93 108 116 Mar. 10, 2002
6 England (UK) Ellen Dart Nov.  1, 1854 Oct.  8, 1963 108 341 England (UK) 1963 108 W F 0 233 0.64 108 108 Sept. 11, 2007
7 England (UK) Elizabeth Kensley May 12, 1855 Mar.  6, 1965 109 298 England (UK) 1963-1965 108-109 W F 1 149 1.41 108 149 Apr. 27, 2007
8 Germany Auguste Pahl Nov. 23, 1855 July 24, 1965 109 243 Germany 1965 109 W F 2 60 2.16 109 103 Sept.  2, 2006
9 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
10 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  
11 South Africa Johanna Booyson Jan. 17, 1857 June  16, 1968 111 151 South Africa 1968 111 W F 0 87 0.24 111 64
12 Czechoslovakia Marie Bernatkova Oct. 22, 1857 fl Oct 22, 1968 111 + Czechoslovakia 1968 110-111 W F ? 128+ NA 110 ?
13 England (UK) Ada Rowe Feb.  6, 1858 Jan. 11, 1970 111 339 England (UK) 1968-1970 110-111 W F 1 ? NA 110 ?
14 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
15 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
16 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
17 Japan Mito Umeta Mar. 27, 1863 May 31, 1975 112 65 Japan 1973-1975 110-112 O F 1 212 1.58 110 218
18 Japan Niwa Kawamoto Aug.  5, 1863 Nov. 16, 1976 113 103 Japan 1975-1976 111-113 O F 1 169 1.46 111 299
19 Japan Shigechiyo Izumi  2 June 29, 1865 Feb. 21, 1986 120 237 Japan 1976-1986 111-120 O M 9 97 9.27 111 140
20 U.S. (IL) Mamie Eva Keith Mar. 22, 1873 Sept. 20, 1986 113 182 U.S. (IL) 1986 112-113 W F 0 211 0.58 112 336
21 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
22 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
23 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
24 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
25 France Jeanne Calment  Feb. 21, 1875 Aug.  4, 1997 122 164 France 1991-1997 115-122 W F 6 171 6.47 115 358
26 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
27 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
28 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
29 France Marie Bremont Apr. 25, 1886 June  6, 2001 115 42 France 2000-2001 114-115 W F 0 216 0.59 114 191
30 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
31 Japan Kamato Hongo 3 Sept. 16, 1887 Oct. 31, 2003 116 45 Japan 2002-2003 114-116 O F 1 227 1.62 114 183
32 Japan Mitoyo Kawate May 15, 1889 Nov. 13, 2003 114 182 Japan 2003 114 O F 0 13 0.04 114 169
33 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
34 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
35 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
36 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
37 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
38 Japan Yone Minagawa Jan.  4, 1893 Aug. 13, 2007 114 221 Japan 2007 114 O F 0 197 0.54 114 24[1]
39 U.S. (IN) Edna Parker Apr. 20, 1893 114* lives in U.S. (IN) 2007- 114- W F 0* 29* 114 115
*still living Sept. 11, 2007    
   
Notes:  
1. Age later called into question by census data. Issue of positive identification remains unresolved. 52.02 52.02/36=avg. reign 1.45 years
2. Age later called into question by Japanese researchers (Izumi might have been 105 instead of 120)
3. Age later called into question by Belgian researcher Michel Poulain (who believes Hongo may have been 3-6 years younger than claimed, although still over 110).
   
[1]
Robert D Young:
It was actually the next day in Japan when Ms Minagawa acceded to the title. '24' is used here for convenience