The Oldest Woman Alive Today (And the Last 5 Titleholders)

Introduction

Many people search for the key to a long life. Some believe in a healthy diet, others in plenty of exercise, and many think that mind over matter will lead to longevity. However, the oldest woman alive and past titleholders all have other suggestions in mind. Wine, chocolate, and no stress! While this might seem like unconventional advice for living a long and happy life, it sure sounds better than a strict diet of salads!

Interestingly, all the titleholders mentioned below are women, supporting the argument that women are likely to live longer than men.

Five of the Oldest People to Ever Live

The oldest person ever recorded was a French woman named Jeanne Calment. Calment was born on February 21, 1875, before the famous Eiffel Tower was constructed in Paris, France. She lived 122 years and 164 days. Many are shocked that she lived so long, as it was reported that she ate over two pounds of chocolate weekly and was a smoker until five years before her death. However, many attribute her longevity to genetics, as both her parents lived long lives.

On the other hand, others have noted that Calment was never stressed; she was as cool as a cucumber in almost every situation. Her tranquility, some say, helped her to live that long. Eventually, she died on August 4, 1997.

Oldest Woman Alive: Around the World

Another incredibly old woman was Kane Tanaka. Guinness World Records deemed her the oldest person alive before her death on April 19, 2022. Tanaka believed that the key to a long life was being herself. Like Jeanne Calment, Tanaka loved chocolate. She also indulged in American Coca-Cola, even though she lived in Japan. Japan is well-known for having a large elderly population, which brings about many issues like dementia. However, Tanaka kept her youthful glow through her exciting personality and hilarious wit.

Sarah Knauss was born on September 24, 1880. To provide context, that’s older than the Brooklyn Bridge and Henry Ford’s Model T. She was recognized as the world’s oldest person in 1880 before she passed in her nursing home in Allentown, Pennsylvania. People described her as quiet and elegant. Like Jeanne Calment, she rarely became stressed or worried about problems. For Knauss, being in good health and being able to do things that many elderly people could not was important. 

Nabi Tajima was a Japanese woman born on August 4, 1900, less than one year before Australia was founded as an independent country. She lived on an island off the coast of Japan, and her grandson claimed she passed away calmly. While Tajima only held the world record as the oldest living person for five months, she still made her mark on the world. Impressively, Tajima had nine children during her lifetime. She believed that good sleep and eating tasty treats were the keys to a long life.

A Canadian supercentenarian, Marie-Louise Meilleur, was born on August 29, 1880. She held the same Guinness World Record that all previous titleholders received until her death on April 16, 1998. Meilleur was a smoker until age 90, and her preferred beverage was wine. Unfortunately, Meilleur was considered deaf and blind when she started living in a nursing home in 1989. Meilleur maintains an impressive family line of 10 children and 85 grandchildren.

Oldest Woman Alive Today

The oldest person alive is named Lucile Randon. As of April 25, 2022, Guinness World Records reported her age to be 118 years and 73 days. Randon was born on February 11, 1904, and many hope she will make it to her 119th year in February 2023. And how couldn’t they want that?! Randon is such a sweet soul!

Randon is a nun who lives in a retirement home in France. She goes by the name Sister André. While one world record could have been enough for Sister André, she conquered yet another when Guinness World Records named her the oldest nun to ever live. Before Sister André became a nun, she worked in a hospital for 28 years. During this time, she watched over orphans and the elderly.

Sister André also has a robust immune system. She broke yet another Guinness World Record for being the oldest person to ever overcome the COVID-19 virus that plagued elderly populations month after month. In only three weeks, Sister André fully recovered after testing positive for COVID-19. While most people believe that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, Sister André’s key to old age is wine and chocolate. In fact, Randon has a glass of wine daily.

Sister André has lived through both World Wars, the inauguration of 18 presidents in France, and 10 individual Popes acting as the head of the Catholic church. However, Sister André doesn’t necessarily cherish holding this title. In fact, she claims that she would rather be in Heaven living with her Lord. Until then, Sister André will continue treasuring her family, chocolate, and wine.

Up Next

• Discover the 10 Oldest Religions in the World
• Oldest Cheese on Earth
• Discover the 10 Oldest Countries in the World

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons – License / Original