Maria Branyas Morera, the world’s oldest person, has died at the age of 117, as announced by her family on social media.
Videos by Suggest
Guinness World Records (GWR) issued a statement confirming her passing at the remarkable age of 117 years and 168 days, solidifying her status as the eighth-oldest verified person in history.
“Maria passed away peacefully at the nursing home in Catalonia, Spain, where she resided for the past two decades,” GWR’s statement read. They also noted that she died on Monday.
On Tuesday, Morera’s family shared a post on her X account to announce her passing.
“She has gone the way she wanted: in her sleep, at peace, and without pain,” her family wrote.
Her family also included what Morera shared with them shortly before her passing.
“I don’t know when, but very soon this long journey will come to an end,” she told her family. “Death will find me worn down from having lived so much, but I want it to find me smiling, free, and satisfied.”
In January 2023, Morera was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest living person following the passing of French nun Sister André, who lived to the remarkable age of 118.
She outlined the reasons she believed contributed to her long life to GWR.
“Order, tranquility, good connection with family and friends, contact with nature, emotional stability, no worries, no regrets, lots of positivity, and staying away from toxic people.”
However, she did acknowledge an X factor at play.
“I think longevity is also about being lucky. Luck and good genetics,” she admitted.
Maria Branyas Morera Became the World’s Oldest Person Just Last Year
Born on March 4, 1907, she entered the world just two years before construction began on the Titanic. The first experimental TV broadcast wouldn’t be for another twenty years.
Morera was born a year after her parents emigrated to the United States from Spain. Eight years later, the family returned, arriving in Barcelona amidst World War I. Throughout her life, Morera has witnessed significant historical events, including the Spanish Civil War and World War II.
In the final decades of her life, she resided in a nursing home in Catalonia. Despite her advancing age, Morera utilized X (with her daughter’s help) to connect with her thousands of followers.
The oldest living person, according to the Gerontology Research Group, is Tomiko Itooka, a 116-year-old woman from Japan. Jeanne Louise Calment holds the record for the oldest documented person, living 122 years and 164 days, according to Guinness World Records. She was born on February 21, 1875.