American leads club of world’s eldest

Washington, April 10

At 115, Jeralean Talley is now the world’s oldest person. The American leads the elite club of “supercentenarians”—people more than 111 years old.

It’s not as small a club as you might think. More than 50 people, carefully tallied by US researchers, have passed the milestone.

After Monday’s death of fellow American Gertrude Weaver, who would have turned 117 on July 4, Talley is the oldest person recorded by the Los Angeles-based Gerontology Research Group (GRG).

An African American, she was born in the southern US state of Georgia at the tail end of the nineteenth century on May 23, 1899.

Talley is part of even more restricted club of three people recorded as having seen three centuries: the final years of the 19^th, the full sweep of the 20^th and the start of the 21^st.

In this she joins Susannah Mushatt Jones, also an African American, born July 6, 1899 and Italy’s Emma Morano-Martinuzzi, born November 29, 1899.

“There is always a small chance that there’s somebody out that has not applied. To show up at 116 is not very likely but it’s still possible,” said Robert Young, a GRG researcher and an expert for the Guinness Book of World Records.

The GRG, which bases its tally on the work of researchers, demographers, biologists and amateur enthusiasts, has for now counted 52 people -- 50 women and two men—who have surpassed 111 years and can prove it with a birth certificate and marriage certificates for surname changes.

Peru’s Filomena Taipe, who local authorities said died on Monday at the age of  117, did not have original proof of birth, said Young.

“Ninety-nine per cent of people that claim to be over 115 turn out to be false,” the researcher said.

He estimated at more than 1,000 the number of people who might be 110, and at around 300 those who have been certified as having that many years under their belt.

Talley took the title held for five days by Weaver following the death of Japan’s Misao Okawa. She died on April 1, less than a month after turning 117.

Talley told the Detroit Free Press that the secret to her longevity comes “from above.”

“That’s the best advice I can give you. It’s not in my hands or your hands,” she said, pointing toward the heavens.

The number of supercentenarians could well grow because life expectancy is growing and the world population is also increasing. Documentation is also easier to come by, although Africa, China and India lag behind in this.

He said that the number of people reaching 115 is going to increase slowly.

The record for the person to have lived the longest—and with papers to prove it—is still held by Calment of France.

She passed away in 1997 at the age of 122 years and 164 days. — AFP