You've probably heard of the Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who died at the age of 122. She is officially considered the oldest person on Earth – there were other contenders for this title, but their age could not be confirmed. The oldest resident of France spent her entire life in her hometown and did not lead a very healthy lifestyle. It is known that she could smoke two packs of cigarettes a day, regularly drank wine and ate a lot of chocolate. The secret of this woman's long life has not yet been revealed, and it is unlikely that anyone will get to the bottom of the truth. Jeanne Calment has long been dead, so the oldest person was considered to be the Spanish Maria Brañas Morera. But she also died in her sleep in August 2024 at the age of 117. Let's look at the photos of this amazing woman and try to unravel the secret of her longevity.
Centenarian Maria Morera with a bouquet of flowers in 2020. Photo source: elperiodico.com
Maria Morera is a Spanish centenarian
Maria Morera was born on March 4, 1907, in San Francisco. Her father was from Pamplona, one of the oldest cities in Spain. The centenarian's mother was Catalan – this is the name of the people living in the Spanish autonomous community of Catalonia. It is noteworthy that girls from Catalonia are famous for their amazing beauty.
Maria Morera in her youth and old age. Image source: novochag.ru
As a child, Maria Morera moved with her family to New Orleans. Her family was not poor, because her father successfully published the magazine Mercurio for Spanish-speaking Americans.
The oldest woman in the world has lived in a nursing home for the past 24 years. Photo source: elperiodico.com
In 1915, when Maria Morera was eight years old, the family decided to return to Spain. But her father was unable to get to his homeland because he died of tuberculosis right on the ship. Another misfortune occurred during the move – the girl fell from the deck and received an injury that led to deafness in one ear.
In Maria Morera's nursing home, they held parties in honor of each birthday. Photo source: elperiodico.com
Maria Morera later lived in Catalonia with her mother and brothers. In 1931, she married a local doctor, survived the civil war with him, and gave birth to three children. She then became a grandmother to eleven grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren, but without her husband, who unfortunately did not live long.
Maria Morera was a respected woman and always shared wise advice. Photo source: elperiodico.com
In the 1990s, at the age of over 80, she went on a trip to different countries. She also did sewing and music – in general, she did not have time to get bored.
Read also: Did ancient people manage to live to 100 years old?
How the oldest person in the world lived?
In 2000, Maria Morera stopped traveling and settled in the Santa Maria del Tura nursing home. After her 100th birthday, she attracted the attention of the media, was shown on television and interviewed. In September 2021, she entered the list of the 100 oldest people in the world, and after the death of the centenarian José Paulino Gómez and the nun Lucille Randón, she became the oldest person in the world.
At 116, Maria Morera looked very fresh. Photo source: elperiodico.com
During her life, Maria Morera has seen two world wars, the Spanish flu pandemic, the Spanish Civil War, and even the COVID-19 pandemic. It is worth noting that she had a mild case of coronavirus and did not need to be hospitalized.
Maria Morera gives an interview. Source: elperiodico.com
Maria Morera died on August 19, 2024 in her sleep. She lived a total of 117 years and 168 days.
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What is the secret to a long life
During her life, the oldest woman in the world gave many interviews, and her daughter conveyed the words to her mother through social networks. For example, Maria Morera once attributed her longevity to her calmness, good connections with family and friends, lack of worries and regrets, as well as a positive attitude and avoidance of toxic people. The centenarian also noted that the secret of her long life may lie in luck and good genetics.
Wise Maria Morera advised to stay away from toxic people. Photo source: elperiodico.com
In 2023, a woman conveyed the following words to the world:
Life is not eternal for anyone… At my age, every new year is a gift, a modest holiday, a new and wonderful adventure, a moment of happiness. Let's enjoy life together.
Maria Morera on her last birthday. Photo source: elperiodico.com
Scientists have long been trying to uncover the secret of longevity. For example, they recently studied the results of 30 studies involving long-lived people. As it turned out, many long-livers have in common a love of the Mediterranean diet, taking a minimum of medications, getting enough sleep, and living close to nature. You can read more about this in our article “4 Things You Need to Change About Yourself to Live to 100.”
The oldest woman on Earth assumed that she was just very lucky. Source: dzen.ru
The story of Shirali Muslimov is very interesting in this article. There is information that this resident of Azerbaijan was 168 years old at the time of his death. But he was not added to the Guinness Book of Records because they could not find reliable information about his date of birth. The man worked as a shepherd almost all his life, spent a lot of time in the fresh air and ate only healthy food. Perhaps he would have lived longer, but he became ill after visiting a polluted city.
It is still possible that the oldest person in the world was Shirali Muslimov. Photo source: novochag.ru
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At the time of writing this article, August 20, 2024, of the hundred oldest people in the world, only six men and women remain alive. The victims are Tomiko Itooka (116 years old), Inah Canabarro Lucas (116 years old), Elizabeth Francis (115 years old), Ethel Caterham (114 years old) and Okagi Hayashi (114 years old).