Oldest people

The following tables list only the verified oldest people in ordinal rank, such as oldest person or oldest man. A supercentenarian is considered "verified" if their claim has been accepted by an international body that specifically deals in longevity research, such as the Gerontology Research Group or the Guinness Book of World Records. The longest unambiguously documented lifespan is that of Jeanne Calment of France (1875–1997), who died at age 122 years and 164 days. She met Vincent van Gogh at age 14. This led to her being noticed by the media in 1988, at age 113. Subsequent investigation found that her life was documented in the records of her native city of Arles beyond reasonable question. More evidence for the Calment case has been produced than for any other supercentenarian case, which makes her case a standard among the oldest people recordholders. This is contrasted with the now-disputed claim of age 120 for the oldest man ever, Shigechiyo Izumi. While this case is currently still recognized by Guinness World Records, the Japanese authorities have hinted that his age was not certain. Since the death of Maria de Jesus on 2 January 2009, the oldest living person is 114 year-old Gertrude Baines of the USA, who was born on 6 April 1894. She is the only verified surviving person who was born in 1894. The oldest living man is 113 year-old Tomoji Tanabe of Japan, born on 18 September 1895.

Chronology of oldest living people (since 1955)

The following is a list of the people who have held the title of oldest recognized person in the world since 1955 (the year Guinness Records began recording). The list does not recount the originally published lists, but the corrected chronology. For example, the age of Betsy Baker was not independently verified until the 2000s.

From	To	Name	Age when oldest	Lived	Sex	Country
Title began in 1955	24 October 1955 (296 days)	Betsy Baker	?-113	20 August 1842 – 24 October 1955, 113 years, 65 days	F	England, United Kingdom (born) Nebraska, United States (died)
24 October 1955	25 June 1959 (1,340 days)	Martha Graham	110-114	December 1844 – 25 June 1959, 114 years, c.180 days	F	North Carolina, United States
25 June 1959	10 February 1961 (596 days)	James Brett, Jr.	110-111?	25 June 1849 – 10 February 1961, 111 years, 230 days	M	Texas, United States
10 February 1961	16 March 1962 (399 days)	Joseph Saint-Amour	108-110	26 February 1852 – 16 March 1962, 110 years, 18 days	M	Quebec, Canada
16 March 1962	17 February 1963 (338 days)	Lovisa Svensson	108-109	20 November 1853 – 17 February 1963, 109 years, 89 days	F	Sweden
17 February 1963	8 October 1963 (233 days)	Ellen Dart	108	1 November 1854 – 8 October 1963, 108 years, 341 days	F	England, United Kingdom
8 October 1963	6 March 1965 (515 days)	Elizabeth Kensley	108-109	12 May 1855 – 6 March 1965, 109 years, 298 days	F	England, United Kingdom
6 March 1965	24 July 1965 (140 days)	Auguste Pahl	109	23 November 1855 – 24 July 1965, 109 years, 243 days	F	Germany
24 July 1965	10 January 1966 (170 days)	Hannah Smith	109-110	7 January 1856 – 10 January 1966, 110 years, 3 days	F	England, United Kingdom
10 January 1966	21 March 1968 (801 days)	John Turner	109-111	15 June 1856 – 21 March 1968, 111 years, 280 days	M	England, United Kingdom
21 March 1968	16 June 1968 (87 days)	Johanna Booyson	111	17 January 1857 – 16 June 1968, 111 years, 151 days	F	Transvaal, South Africa
16 June 1968	October? 1968 c. (137 days)	Marie Bernátková	110-111	22 October 1857 – fl. October 1968, 111 years, 0+ days	F	Czechoslovakia
October? 1968	11 January 1970 c. (437 days)	Ada Roe	110-111	6 February 1858 – 11 January 1970, 111 years, 339 days	F	England, United Kingdom
11 January 1970	27 February 1973 (1,143 days)	Josefa Salas Mateo	109-112	14 July 1860 – 27 February 1973, 112 years, 228 days	F	Spain
27 February 1973	18 August 1973 (172 days)	Alice Stevenson	111-112	10 July 1861 – 18 August 1973, 112 years, 39 days	F	England, United Kingdom
18 August 1973	31 October 1973 (74 days)	Elizabeth Watkins	110	10 March 1863 – 31 October 1973, 110 years, 235 days	F	Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
31 October 1973	31 May 1975 (577 days)	Mito Umeta	110-112	27 March 1863 – 31 May 1975, 112 years, 65 days	F	Kyūshū, Japan
31 May 1975	16 November 1976 (535 days)	Niwa Kawamoto	111-113	5 August 1863 – 16 November 1976, 113 years, 103 days	F	Kansai, Japan
16 November 1976	21 February 1986 (3,384 days)	Shigechiyo Izumi	111-120?	29 June 1865? – 21 February 1986, 120? years, 237 days	M	Kagoshima, Japan
20 February 1986	20 September 1986 (212 days)	Mamie Eva Keith	112-113	22 March 1873 – 20 September 1986, 113 years, 182 days	F	Illinois, United States
20 September 1986	2 February 1987 (135 days)	Mary McKinney	113	30 May 1873 – 2 February 1987, 113 years, 248 days	F	California, United States
2 February 1987	27 December 1987 (328 days)	Anna Eliza Williams	113-114	2 June 1873 – 27 December 1987, 114 years, 208 days	F	England, United Kingdom (born) Wales, United Kingdom (died)
27 December 1987	11 January 1988 (15 days)	Florence Knapp	114	10 October 1873 – 11 January 1988, 114 years, 93 days	F	Pennsylvania, United States
11 January 1988	14 February 1991 (1,130 days)	Carrie C. White	113-116?	18 November 1874? – 14 February 1991, 116 years, 88 days?	F	Florida, United States
14 February 1991	4 August 1997 (2,363 days)	Jeanne Calment	115-122	21 February 1875 – 4 August 1997, 122 years, 164 days	F	Provence, France
4 August 1997	16 April 1998 (255 days)	Marie-Louise Meilleur	116-117	29 August 1880 – 16 April 1998, 117 years, 230 days	F	Ontario, Canada
16 April 1998	30 December 1999 (623 days)	Sarah Knauss	117-119	24 September 1880 – 30 December 1999, 119 years, 97 days	F	Pennsylvania, United States
30 December 1999	2 November 2000 (308 days)	Eva Morris	114	8 November 1885 – 2 November 2000, 114 years, 360 days	F	England, United Kingdom
2 November 2000	6 June 2001 (216 days)	Marie Brémont	114-115	25 April 1886 – 6 June 2001, 115 years, 42 days	F	Anjou, France
5 June 2001	18 March 2002 (286 days)	Maude Farris-Luse	114-115	21 January 1887 – 18 March 2002, 115 years, 56 days	F	Michigan, United States
19 March 2002	31 October 2003 (591 days)	Kamato Hongo	114-116?	16 September 1887? – 31 October 2003, 116 years, 45 days?	F	Kagoshima, Japan
31 October 2003	13 November 2003 (13 days)	Mitoyo Kawate	114	15 May 1889 – 13 November 2003, 114 years, 182 days	F	Hiroshima, Japan
13 November 2003	29 May 2004 (198 days)	Ramona Trinidad Iglesias-Jordan	114	31 August 1889 – 29 May 2004, 114 years, 272 days	F	Puerto Rico
29 May 2004	27 August 2006 (820 days)	María Capovilla	114-116	14 September 1889 – 27 August 2006, 116 years, 347 days	F	Ecuador
27 August 2006	11 December 2006 (106 days)	Elizabeth Bolden	116	15 August 1890 – 11 December 2006, 116 years, 118 days	F	Tennessee, United States
11 December 2006	24 January 2007 (44 days)	Emiliano Mercado del Toro	115	21 August 1891 – 24 January 2007, 115 years, 156 days	M	Puerto Rico
24 January 2007	28 January 2007 (4 days)	Emma Tillman	114	22 November 1892 – 28 January 2007, 114 years, 67 days	F	Connecticut, United States
29 January 2007	13 August 2007 (196 days)	Yone Minagawa	114	4 January 1893 – 13 August 2007, 114 years, 221 days	F	Fukuoka, Japan
13 August 2007	26 November 2008 (471 days)	Edna Parker	114-115	20 April 1893 – 26 November 2008, 115 years, 220 days	F	Indiana, United States
26 November 2008	2 January 2009 (37 days)	Maria de Jesus	115	10 September 1893 – 2 January 2009, 115 years, 114 days	F	Portugal
2 January 2009	Present (5797 days)	Gertrude Baines	114*	Born 6 April 1894 age 130 years, 224 days	F	California, United States

Chronology of oldest living men (since 1961)

Guinness World Records has maintained the category of oldest living man intermittently over the years, only establishing it as a permanent feature in the year 2000. Persons listed prior to 2000 are based on an historical reconstruction by reliable bodies specializing in gerontology.

From	To	Name	Age when oldest	Lived	Country
10 February 1961	16 March 1962 (399 days)	Joseph Saint-Amour	108-110	26 February 1852 – 16 March 1962, 110 years, 18 days	Quebec, Canada
16 March 1962	21 March 1968 (2,197 days)	John Turner	105-111	15 June 1856 – 21 March 1968, 111 years, 280 days	England, UK
21 March 1968	August? 1970 c. (893 days)	Khasako Dzugayev	107-110	7 August 1860 – fl. August 1970, 110 years, 0+ days	USSR
August? 1970	5 May 1973 c. (978 days)	Friedrich Wedeking	107-110	10 October 1862 – 5 May 1973, 110 years, 207 days	Germany
5 May 1973	9 March 1974 (308 days)	Frederick Butterfield	109-110	28 February 1864 – 9 March 1974, 110 years, 9 days	England, UK
9 March 1974	21 February 1986 (4,367 days)	Shigechiyo Izumi	108-120?	29 June 1865? – 21 February 1986, 120? years, 237 days	Kagoshima, Japan
20 February 1986	14 December 1986 (297 days)	Joe Thomas	110-111	1 May 1875 – 14 December 1986, 111 years, 227 days	Louisiana, U.S.
14 December 1986	5 January 1987 (22 days)	Herman Smith-Johannsen	111	15 June 1875 – 5 January 1987, 111 years, 204 days	Norway lived in Quebec, Canada
5 January 1987	25 November 1988 (690 days)	Alphaeus Philemon Cole	110-112	12 July 1876 – 25 November 1988, 112 years, 136 days	New Jersey, U.S.
25 November 1988	10 June 1990 (562 days)	John Evans	111-112	19 August 1877 – 10 June 1990, 112 years, 295 days	Wales, UK
10 June 1990	18 June 1990 (8 days)	Henri Pérignon	110	14 October 1879 – 18 June 1990, 110 years, 247 days	Normandy, France
18 June 1990	16 October 1991 (485 days)	James Wiggins	110-112	15 October 1879 – 16 October 1991, 112 years, 1 day	Arkansas, U.S.
16 October 1991	14 June 1993 (607 days)	Frederick L. Frazier	111-113	27 January 1880 – 14 June 1993, 113 years, 138 days	Alabama, U.S.
14 June 1993	20 January 1994 (220 days)	Josep Armengol Jover	111-112	23 July 1881 – 20 January 1994, 112 years, 181 days	Spain
20 January 1994	25 April 1998 (1,556 days)	Christian Mortensen	111-115	16 August 1882 – 25 April 1998, 115 years, 252 days	Denmark (born) California, U.S. (died)
25 April 1998	17 July 1998 (83 days)	Johnson Parks	113	15 October 1884 – 17 July 1998, 113 years, 275 days	Florida, U.S.
17 July 1998	25 December 1998 (161 days)	Walter Richardson	112-113	7 November 1885 – 25 December 1998, 113 years, 48 days	Illinois, U.S.
25 December 1998	29 April 1999 (125 days)	Denzo Ishisaki	112	20 October 1886 – 29 April 1999, 112 years, 191 days	Ibaraki, Japan
29 April 1999	15 November 1999 (200 days)	Antonio Urrea-Hernández	111	16 February 1888 – 15 November 1999, 111 years, 272 days	Catalonia, Spain
15 November 1999	1 March 2001 (472 days)	John Painter	111-112	20 September 1888 – 1 March 2001, 112 years, 162 days	Tennessee, U.S.
1 March 2001	3 January 2002 (308 days)	Antonio Todde	112	22 January 1889 – 3 January 2002, 112 years, 346 days	Sardinia, Italy
3 January 2002	28 September 2003 (633 days)	Yukichi Chuganji	112-114	23 March 1889 – 28 September 2003, 114 years, 189 days	Fukuoka, Japan
28 September 2003	5 March 2004 (159 days)	Joan Riudavets	113-114	15 December 1889 – 5 March 2004, 114 years, 81 days	Minorca, Spain
5 March 2004	19 November 2004 (259 days)	Fred H. Hale, Sr.	113	1 December 1890 – 19 November 2004, 113 years, 354 days	Maine, U.S.
19 November 2004	24 January 2007 (796 days)	Emiliano Mercado del Toro	113-115	21 August 1891 – 24 January 2007, 115 years, 156 days	Puerto Rico
24 January 2007	Present (6506 days)	Tomoji Tanabe	111-113*	Born 18 September 1895 age 129 years, 59 days	Miyazaki, Japan

The oldest verified people ever (top 10)

Main article: List of the verified oldest people

Three claims are disputed; accordingly, an addendum of proven claims is included.

Rank	Name	Age	Born	Died	Sex	Notes
1	Jeanne Calment	122 years, 164 days	21 February 1875	4 August 1997	F	Oldest person ever verified. French.
2	Shigechiyo Izumi	120? years, 237 days	29 June 1865?	21 February 1986	M	Oldest male ever verified. Japanese. Disputed (may have been 105).
3	Sarah Knauss	119 years, 97 days	24 September 1880	30 December 1999	F	Oldest American ever verified and oldest living person verified 1998-1999.
4	Lucy Hannah	117 years, 248 days	16 July 1875	21 March 1993	F	Oldest African American ever verified.
5	Marie-Louise Meilleur	117 years, 230 days	29 August 1880	16 April 1998	F	Oldest Canadian ever verified and oldest living person verified 1997-1998.
6	María Capovilla	116 years, 347 days	14 September 1889	27 August 2006	F	Oldest Ecuadorian ever verified and oldest living person verified 2004-2006.
7	Tane Ikai	116 years, 175 days	18 January 1879	12 July 1995	F	Oldest Japanese woman ever verified.
8	Elizabeth Bolden	116 years, 118 days	15 August 1890	11 December 2006	F	Oldest living person verified 2006. American.
9	Carrie White	116? years, 88 days	18 November 1874?	14 February 1991	F	Oldest living person verified 1988-1991. American. Disputed (may have been 102).
10	Kamato Hongo	116? years, 45 days	16 September 1887?	31 October 2003	F	Oldest living person verified 2002-2003. Japanese. Disputed (may have been 115 or 110).

Name	Age	Born	Died	Sex	Notes
Maggie Barnes	115 years, 319 days	6 March 1882	19 January 1998	F	American. Disputed (may have been 116 or 117).
Christian Mortensen	115 years, 252 days	16 August 1882	25 April 1998	M	- Oldest undisputed male ever verified. Danish immigrant to United States.
Charlotte Hughes	115 years, 228 days	1 August 1877	17 March 1993	F	Oldest Briton ever verified.

Oldest verified men ever (top 10)

Main article: List of the verified oldest men

Three claims are disputed, accordingly an addendum of proven claims is included.

Rank	Name	Age	Born	Died	Notes
1	Shigechiyo Izumi	120? years, 237 days	29 June 1865?	21 February 1986	Oldest male ever verified. Japanese. Disputed. (may have been 105).
2	Christian Mortensen	115 years, 252 days	16 August 1882	25 April 1998	- Oldest undisputed male verified. Danish immigrant to United States.
3	Emiliano Mercado del Toro	115 years, 156 days	21 August 1891	24 January 2007	Oldest Puerto Rican verified and oldest living person verified 2006-2007.
4	Mathew Beard	114? years, 222 days	9 July 1870	16 February 1985	Oldest American man verified (disputed).
5	Yukichi Chuganji	114 years, 189 days	23 March 1889	28 September 2003	Oldest undisputed Japanese man verified, and oldest living man verified 2002-2003.
6	Joan Riudavets	114 years, 81 days	15 December 1889	5 March 2004	Oldest Spaniard verified and oldest living man verified 2003-2004.
7	Fred H. Hale, Sr.	113 years, 354 days	1 December 1890	19 November 2004	Oldest living man verified 2004. American.
8	Moses Hardy	113? years, 335 days	6 January 1893?	7 December 2006	American (disputed).
9	Johnson Parks	113 years, 275 days	15 October 1884	17 July 1998	American. Oldest living man verified 1998.
10	John Ingram McMorran	113 years, 250 days	19 June 1889	24 February 2003	American.

Name	Age	Born	Died	Notes
Frederick L. Frazier	113 years, 138 days	27 January 1880	14 June 1993	Oldest living man verified 1991-1993. American.
Tomoji Tanabe	129 years, 59 days	18 September 1895	Living	Oldest living man since 2007. Japanese.
Walter Richardson	113 years, 48 days	7 November 1885	25 December 1998	Oldest living man verified 1998. American.

Oldest validated people currently living (top 10)

Main article: List of living supercentenarians

Rank	Name	Age as of 16 November 2024	Sex	Born	Residence
1	Gertrude Baines	130 years, 224 days	F	6 April 1894	Oldest person in the world (since 2 January 2009). Lives in California, United States
2	Kama Chinen	129 years, 190 days	F	10 May 1895	Lives in Okinawa, Japan
3	Mary Josephine Ray	129 years, 183 days	F	17 May 1895	Lives in New Hampshire, United States
4	Olivia Patricia Thomas	129 years, 140 days	F	29 June 1895	Lives in New York, United States
5	Neva Morris	129 years, 105 days	F	3 August 1895	Lives in Iowa, United States
6	Chiyo Shiraishi	129 years, 102 days	F	6 August 1895	Lives in Ibaraki, Japan
7	Tomoji Tanabe	129 years, 59 days	M	18 September 1895	Lives in Miyazaki, Japan
8	Maggie Renfro	129 years, 2 days	F	14 November 1895	Lives in Louisiana, United States
9	Eugénie Blanchard	128 years, 274 days	F	16 February 1896	Lives in Guadeloupe, France
10	Lucia Lauria	128 years, 257 days	F	4 March 1896	Lives in Basilicata, Italy

Oldest men currently living (aged over 110 years)

Main article: List of living supercentenarians

Rank	Name	Age as of 16 November 2024	Born	Residence
1	Tomoji Tanabe	129 years, 59 days	18 September 1895	Oldest man in the world (since 24 January 2007). Lives in Miyazaki, Japan
2	Henry Allingham	128 years, 163 days	6 June 1896	Lives in England, United Kingdom. World War I Veteran
3	Walter Breuning	128 years, 56 days	21 September 1896	Lives in Montana, United States
4	Augusto de Oliveira	128 years, 41 days	6 October 1896	Lives in Portugal
5	Jiroemon Kimura	127 years, 211 days	19 April 1897	Lives in Kyōto, Japan
6	Kiyoshi Igarashi	127 years, 106 days	2 August 1897	Lives in Hokkaidō, Japan
7	Harry Patch	126 years, 152 days	17 June 1898	Lives in England, United Kingdom. World War I Veteran
8	Garland Adair	126 years, 109 days	30 July 1898	Lives in Missouri, United States.

Supercentenarians who died before 1955

Main article: Supercentenarian

Supercentenarian Ann Pouder photographed by Charles Martin on her 110th birthday.

Name	Born	Died	Age	Sex	Notes
Thomas Peters	1745	1857	111 years 354 days	M	Netherlands; earliest supercentenarian recognized by the Guinness Book of Records.
Geert Boomgaard	1788	1899	110 years 135 days	M	Netherlands; earliest supercentenarian recognized by some scholars.
Margaret Neve	1792	1903	110 years 321 days	F	Guernsey, Channel Islands
Ann Pouder	1807	1917	110 years 93 days	F	Born England, UK Died Nebraska, U.S.
Louisa Thiers	1814	1926	111 years 138 days	F	New York, U.S.
Delina Filkins	1815	1928	113 years 214 days	F	New York, U.S.
Miriam Bannister	1817	1928	111 years 21 days	F	Born England, UK Died Missouri, U.S.
Demetrius Philipovitch	1818	1928	110 years 150+ days	M	Yugoslavia
Katherine Plunket	1820	1932	111 years 327 days	F	Ireland
Valgjer Svien	1842	1953	110 years 105 days	F	Born Norway Died Minnesota, U.S.

National longevity recordholders

Main article: National longevity recordholders

Nation of death (oldest first)

Country	Age	Sex	Name	Born	Died
France	122 years 164 days	F	Jeanne Calment	21 February 1875	4 August 1997
Japan	120? years 237 days	M	Shigechiyo Izumi	29 June 1865?	21 February 1986
United States	119 years 97 days	F	Sarah Knauss	24 September 1880	30 December 1999
Canada	117 years 230 days	F	Marie-Louise Meilleur	29 August 1880	16 April 1998
Ecuador	116 years 347 days	F	María Capovilla	14 September 1889	27 August 2006
United Kingdom	115 years 228 days	F	Charlotte Hughes	1 August 1877	17 March 1993
Romania	115? years 157 days	F	Aniţica Butariu	17 June 1882	21 November 1997
Puerto Rico	115 years, 156 days	M	Emiliano Mercado del Toro	21 August 1891	24 January 2007
Portugal	115 years 114 days	F	Maria de Jesus	10 September 1893	2 January 2009
Netherlands	115 years 62 days	F	Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper	29 June 1890	30 August 2005
Australia	114 years 148 days	F	Christina Cock	25 December 1887	22 May 2002
Spain	114 years 81 days	M	Joan Riudavets	15 December 1889	5 March 2004
Italy	114 years 4 days	F	Virginia Dighero-Zolezzi	24 December 1891	28 December 2005
New Zealand	113 years 109 days	F	Florence Finch	22 December 1893	10 April 2007
Sweden	113 years 0 days	F	Astrid Zachrison	15 May 1895	15 May 2008
Germany	112 years 362 days	F	Maria Laqua	12 February 1889	9 February 2002
Finland	112 years 259 days	F	Lempi Maria Rothovius	2 October 1887	17 June 2000
Belgium	112 years 186 days	F	Joanna Deroover	3 June 1890	6 December 2002
Austria	112 years 178 days	F	Maria Mika	23 May 1882	17 November 1994
Norway	112 years 61 days	F	Maren Bolette Torp	21 December 1876	20 February 1989
Ireland	111 years 327 days	F	Katherine Plunket	22 November 1820	14 October 1932
South Africa	111 years 151 days	F	Johanna Booyson	17 January 1857	16 June 1968
Denmark	111 years 114 days	F	Anne Matthiesen	26 November 1884	19 March 1996
Uruguay	111 years 107 days	F	Manolita Pina	24 February 1883	11 June 1994
Colombia	111 years 105 days	M	Daniel Guzmán-García	6 February 1897	21 May 2008
Switzerland	111 years 87 days	F	Emma Duvoisin	5 July 1886	30 September 1997

Emigrant records (oldest first)

Note: listed for countries where an emigrant lived longer than any lifelong resident

Country	Age	Sex	Name	Born	Died	Notes
Denmark	115 years 252 days	M	Christian Mortensen	16 August 1882	25 April 1998	Died U.S.
Portugal (Cape Verde)	114 years 183 days	F	Adelina Domingues	19 February 1888	21 August 2002	Died U.S.
Germany	114 years 180 days	F	Charlotte Benkner	16 November 1889	14 May 2004	Died U.S.
French Algeria	114 years 172 days	F	Anne Primout	5 October 1890	26 March 2005	Died France
India	113 years 197 days	F	Lucy d'Abreu	24 May 1892	7 December 2005	Died UK
Austria-Hungary	112 years 332 days	F	Elizabeth Stefan	13 May 1895	9 April 2008	Died U.S.
Morocco	111 years 282 days	F	Consuelo Moreno-López	5 February 1893	13 November 2004	Died U.S.
Greece	110 years 341 days	M	Gregory Pandazes	15 January 1873	22 December 1983	Died U.S.
Peru	110 years 106 days	F	Julia Dougherty	20 August 1893	4 December 2003	Died U.S.
Russian Empire	110 years 33 days	F	Helen Czechowicz	1 January 1896	3 February 2006	Died U.S.

Gerontology and the verification of age claims

Gerontology involves the tracking of the longest-lived proven individuals as the bio-markers of the human life span. The study of gerontology is usually credited to Michel Eugène Chevreul, a French chemist who died in 1889, aged 102. In the early years of the twenty first century gerontology is benefiting from the improvements in record-keeping in the industrialized world from the latter part of the nineteenth century. As a result, verification standards have evolved and multiple independent documentary confirmations of birth-date are now required to substantiate a claim, rather than evidence deriving only from the claimant. For claims that have not been satisfactorily confirmed by Guinness World Records, considered the authority, see longevity claims.

Current trends in the lifespans of the oldest humans

The population and lifespans of the world's oldest people are continually increasing due to improvements in health care and lifestyle during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and the increasing world population. Additionally, better record-keeping, both 100+ years ago and today, is increasing the percentage of the world's population whose age can be tracked and verified. This increase has been matched by efforts to harness these data. While in 1837 the oldest verified person was aged 108 years, it is now no longer unheard of for individuals, especially females, to have lived 110 years and more. The term supercentenarian has been coined to describe this emerging population group.

External links

• Louis Epstein: The Oldest Human Beings — list of validly-documented supercentenarians (by age and chronological), including a chronological list of the oldest living listed persons since 1955 (however, for a time in the 1960s the oldest living person did not officially reach 110).
• World's Oldest People Discussion group regarding claims to age 108+.
• Supercentenarian tables at the Gerontology Research Group
• International Database on Longevity