World's oldest person Ethel Caterham marks 117th birthday in UK
Ethel Caterham, the world's oldest living person, celebrated her 117th birthday on August 21, 2026, at a care home in Surrey, England — becoming the first person in recorded history to reach that age and one of only 13 people ever documented to do so. For anyone following weird stuff worlds oldest stories, her milestone matters because Guinness World Records now lists her as both the oldest person alive and the oldest woman alive.
Key Takeaways
- Ethel Caterham turned 117 on August 21, 2026, at Hallmark Lakeview Care Home in Lightwater, Surrey.
- She is one of only 13 people in recorded history to reach age 117.
- Caterham inherited the oldest-person title in April 2025 after Brazilian nun Sister Inah Canabarro Lucas died at 116.
- She credits moderation, avoiding arguments, and doing what she likes for her long life.
- World's oldest man João Marinho Neto, 113, sent birthday wishes from Brazil with a Parabéns Ethel note.
Who Is the World's Oldest Person in 2026?
Ethel Caterham was born on August 21, 1909, in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, when Edward VII was still on the throne. She now lives at a care home in Surrey, where she marked her birthday privately with family and friends.
Guinness World Records recognizes Caterham as the world's oldest living person and oldest living woman. She claimed the title last year after the death of Sister Inah Canabarro Lucas, the Brazilian nun who had held the record at 116.
Her 117 years span two world wars, the sinking of the Titanic, and the Covid-19 pandemic. She is among the oldest people known to have survived the virus after contracting it in 2020 at age 110.
What Is Ethel Caterham's Secret to Living to 117?
Asked about longevity, Caterham keeps it simple. She told reporters she has "enjoyed everything in life but in moderation." She added: "I never argue with anyone. I listen to what they say, and then do as I like."
After her husband Norman, a British Army lieutenant colonel, died in 1976, she learned to drive at 67 and kept driving until she was 97. Even at 117, she told well-wishers she had enjoyed "many firsts" over the past year, from stroking a llama to holding hands with King Charles during a visit to her care home.
How Did Ethel Caterham's Life Unfold Before the Record Books?
At 18, Caterham sailed to India to work as a nanny before returning to England. She met Norman at a dinner party in 1931, and the couple later lived in Gibraltar and Hong Kong, where she opened a nursery school. They raised two daughters.
Her sister Gladys also lived to 104. Caterham's path to supercentenarian status placed her among the rarest company on Earth — a club fewer than 15 people in documented history have ever joined.
For more stories at the edge of the believable, browse our Bizarre World coverage, where record-breaking lives and odd milestones regularly collide.
Why Does a 117th Birthday Draw Global Attention?
Supercentenarians are statistical outliers, and each new age milestone reshapes what scientists think is possible. Caterham's birthday drew messages from around the world, including João Marinho Neto of Brazil, who at 113 holds the title of world's oldest man. He photographed himself holding a note reading "Parabéns Ethel" — Portuguese for "Congratulations Ethel."
The all-time longevity record still belongs to Jeanne Calment of France, who lived to 122 years and 164 days before her death in 1997. Caterham has not reached that bar, but crossing 117 puts her in uncharted territory for anyone alive today.
Reporting on the milestone was picked up internationally, including by RTÉ, which noted she is the first person in recorded history to reach the age of 117. Jamaica Star highlighted the story in its Weird Stuff section on August 24, 2026.