1. United Kingdom - Ethel Caterham - 21 Aug 1909 - 116  World Doyenne since 30 Apr 2025
2. United States - Naomi Whitehead - 26 Sept 1910 - 115
3. Italy - Lucia Laura Sangenito - 22 Oct 1910 - 115 
4. Brazil - Yolanda Beltrão de Azevedo - 13 Jan 1911 - 115 
5. Japan - Shigeko Kagawa - 28 May 1911 - 114 
6. France - Madeleine Dellamonica - 23 July 1912 - 113
7. Argentina - Angélica Tiscornia - 22 Aug 1912 - 113 
8. Portugal - Maria da Conceição de Brito - 31 Dec 1912 - 113 
9. Mexico - Eulalia Bravo Bravo - 12 Feb 1913 - 113 
   
10. Chile - Rosa Laura Torres Barra - 20 July 1913 - 112 
11. Spain - Teresa Fernández Casado - 29 July 1913 - 112 
12. New Zealand - Aileen Kars - 12 Sept 1913 - 112 
    
13. Costa Rica - Zoraida Montezuma - 31 Oct 1913 - 112
14. Puerto Rico - Anonymous - 28 Febr 1914 - 112
15. Denmark - Kirsten Schwalbe - 10 Mar 1914 - 112
16. Australia - Lorna Henstridge - 6 June 1914 - 111
17. Germany - Ilse Neumann - 23 July 1914 - 111 
18. Cuba - Angelina Nazco Pulido - 1 September 1914 - 111
19. Russia - Vera Korolyova - 30 September 1914 - 111
20. Honduras - María del Pilar Salinas - 12 October 1914 - 111

UK 5
FRA 5
ITA 2
ESP 2
JAM/UK 1
PRT 1
ALG/FRA 1
ROU 1
DNK 1
AUT 1
TUN/FRA 1

1. Ethel May Caterham (b. 21 August 1909), 116, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom World's Oldest Living Person
2. Lucia Laura Sangenito (b. 22 November 1910), 115, 🇮🇹 Italy 
3. Madeline Dellamonica (b. 23 July 1912), 113, 🇫🇷 France 
4. Merah Smith (b. 9 November 1912), 113, 🇯🇲🇬🇧 Jamaica/UK
5. Maria da Conceicao Brito (b. 31 December 1912), 113, 🇵🇹 Portugal
6. Marcelle Demorgny (b. 10 March 1913), 113, 🇫🇷 France 
7. Marie Louise Bresson (b. 15 March 1913), 113, 🇩🇿🇫🇷 Algeria/France 
8. Ilie Ciocan (b. 10 June 1913), 112, 🇷🇴 Romania European Oldest Living Man
9. Teresa Fernández Casado (b. 29 July 1913), 112,🇪🇸 Spain
10. Margaret Cryer (b. 25 November 1913), 112, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
11. Hilda Luck (b. 19 February 1914), 112, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
12. Sor Rosario Soto (b. 3 March 1914), 112, 🇪🇸 Spain
13. Marie-Louise Pellet (b. 7 March 1914), 112, 🇫🇷 France
14. Kirsten Schwalbe (b. 10 March 1914), 112, 🇩🇰 Denmark
15. Irene Laroche (b. 23 March 1914), 112, 🇫🇷 France
16. Vitantonio Lovallo (b. 28 March 1914), 112, 🇮🇹 Italy
17. Marjorie Hodnett (b. 1 April 1914), 112, 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
18. Esther Dalton (b. 5 June 1914), 111,  United Kingdom
19. Helene Malfuson (b. 29 June 1914), 111, 🇹🇳🇫🇷 Tunisia/France
20. Marguerite Lecourt (b. 16 July 1914), 111, 🇫🇷 France

She was the last known person in my homecountry born before WWI.

I was several times in her hometown Euratsfeld visiting relatives, and I knew her. She was a legend and inspired so many people because of her humour, happiness, kindness, trust in God and hard working as a farmer.

RIP Anni. We love you forever and are so glad having had you around us so long.

Sit tibi terra levis.

World’s Oldest Living Sibling Trio With Combined Age of 316 Years

The story of Zoraide (104), Levita (108), and Zulina (103) is, above all, a testimony to the beauty of sisterhood and the love that flourishes across generations. With a combined age of 316 years, the three sisters are currently the World’s Oldest Known Living Trio of Siblings.

Daughters of Manoel de Deus Nunes and Jovelina de Deus Nunes, the three sisters were born in Cedro de São João — at the time a district of Propriá — in the state of Sergipe, Brazil, and belonged to a large family of eight siblings: Edimar (1915–2001), Levita (1917), Onias (1919–2005), Donaura (1920–1995), Zoraide (1921), Zulina (1923), Antônio (1924–1993), and Avelon (1925–1925). Raised in an environment marked by family unity, discipline, hard work, and solidarity, the sisters built different life paths, yet remained deeply connected through bonds of care and affection.

The article was co-written by LongeviQuest’s Brazilian researchers, Iara Souza and Gabriel Ainsworth. Special thanks to Zuleide Nunes dos Santos, Zulina’s daughter, for her invaluable assistance in providing extensive biographical details and photographs.

Their parents, Manoel de Deus Nunes and Jovelina de Deus Nunes.

LEVITA DE DEUS NUNES

Levita de Deus Nunes was born on 7 June 1917 and was the couple’s second child as well as the eldest daughter. From a very young age, she assumed responsibilities within the household, becoming her parents’ right hand and an essential figure in raising her younger siblings. While her parents worked in the fields, it was Levita who managed the home, organized the household routine, and cared for the family.

This spirit of care accompanied her throughout her entire life. In Sergipe and later in Rio de Janeiro, Levita became a true second mother to her nieces and nephews, allowing her sisters to work and seek better living conditions. Around 1953, she moved to Rio de Janeiro to support Zulina during the difficult process of adapting to the new city.

Levita as a young woman.

At the age 30 in Aracaju.

Although she never officially married in a civil ceremony, Levita devoted her entire life to her family. She inherited from her mother a talent for handmade crafts and transformed crochet, knitting, and sewing into activities that combined livelihood, leisure, and personal expression.

Later in life, she experienced a remarkable chapter when she joined Rede Globo Television. For about 15 years, she worked behind the scenes at the network, participating in the audience groups of historic comedy programs such as those hosted by Chico Anysio, in addition to appearing as an extra in soap operas. This experience also represented her financial independence, securing formal employment registration and, later, retirement through Brazil’s social security system.

evita (left) in 1988, with her mother Jovelina, who would live to the age of 100.

Throughout her life, she built both emotional and material wealth grounded in generosity. After receiving an apartment in the Copacabana neighborhood from her second partner, she decided to sell it in order to purchase a house in the Olaria neighborhood, where she welcomed her widowed mother and her brother Antônio, keeping the family united under her care.

Today, at 108 years old and approaching her 109th birthday, Levita remains bedridden but intellectually active, preserving the reading habit that has always brought her pleasure and companionship. She is now surrounded by the affection of her nephews and nieces — especially Zulina’s children — who repay the love and dedication she gave throughout decades.

On her 100th birthday in June 2017.

On her 101st birthday in June 2018.

Levita enjoys reading as a pastime.

Levita on her 108th birthday, with her niece Maristela.

ZORAIDE DE DEUS MOTA

Zoraide de Deus Mota was born on 24 November 1921. Unlike the more traditional path expected of women of her generation, she chose education and professional achievement as her life’s mission. She graduated as a primary school teacher from the Escola Normal de Aracaju and began her professional journey in São Cristóvão, Sergipe.

In 1944, she moved to Rio de Janeiro in search of new opportunities, having been motivated by her vocation for healthcare. The move was also influenced by cousins already living in the former Brazilian capital who believed in the transformative power of education.

Zoraide at the age of 25, Teachers’ college graduation ceremony.

As a nurse.

In Rio de Janeiro, Zoraide enrolled at the prestigious Anna Nery School of Nursing, where she studied as a resident student and completed her nursing education. Over the years, she built a respected and solid career, working in several hospitals until her retirement.

On 6 February 1950, she married Enéas Alves da Mota, with whom she had five children. Although the marriage later ended in separation, followed by an official divorce in 1975, Zoraide remained steadfast in both her professional and family life, balancing motherhood with her nursing career.

Zoraide (left) in 1988, and her younger sister Zulina.

Throughout her life, she endured profound losses, including the deaths of two of her children — one while still young and another later in adulthood (her eldest son). Even so, she remained a symbol of strength, balance, and dedication to family.

Today, at 104 years old, she lives in the Tijuca neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro alongside her daughter Ângela. Her legacy remains alive in the following generations, which include professionals in medicine, law, and other academic fields. Her family includes 9 grandchildren — among them a granddaughter living in Germany — and 13 great-grandchildren. Zoraide remains a symbol of female pioneering, independence, courage, and the appreciation of education.

Zoraide on her 100th birthday in 2021, with her niece Zuleide.

Zoraide (left) on her 104th birthday in 2025, with her sister Zulina.

ZULINA DE DEUS NUNES

Zulina de Deus Nunes was born on 4 March 1923. She grew up in an environment deeply connected to the traditional values of the countryside of Sergipe and, from an early age, learned domestic and artisanal skills that would later become fundamental to her survival and independence: sewing, cross-stitch embroidery, and refined handmade crafts.

On 17 July 1945, she married José Benvindo dos Santos, an employee of the former Federal Railway Network. During their marriage, she took responsibility for managing the household and raising their six children while her husband worked traveling the railway route between Aracaju and Salvador.

Zulina in 1952, with three of her children.

In 1952, Zulina with two of her children when they arrived in Rio de Janeiro.

However, their marriage ended, and she faced one of the most difficult moments of her life. Alone, with small children and no financial stability, she decided to migrate to Rio de Janeiro around 1952 in search of a better future for her family. She took with her her two eldest children and a suitcase full of embroidery and towels made by her own hands — her only working tool at that moment.

The four younger children temporarily remained in Sergipe under the care of their grandparents and Levita until Zulina was able to establish herself in the new city. Upon arriving in Rio de Janeiro, she found fundamental support in Zoraide, who offered her shelter and assistance during the first month.

In 2005, Zulina and Levita visiting their 100-year-old aunt.

She quickly managed to rent her own home and reunite the family once again. Levita also moved in to help with household management, allowing Zulina to work daily selling her embroidery and sewing throughout the city streets.

Even though she never held formal employment with a registered labor contract, she transformed handicraft into a tool for social advancement: all six of her children earned university degrees.

Today, at 103 years old, Zulina continues to impress with her vitality and independence. She still performs household activities, cooks, and maintains an active routine. She became the matriarch of a large family that includes 9 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren, leaving behind a legacy of faith, perseverance, hard work, and absolute dedication to family.

In 2024, Zulina with her youngest great-granddaughter.

In 2024, Zulina traveling on a cruise.

Conclusion

More than simply living through a century, Levita, Zoraide, and Zulina crossed time while remaining deeply united. Through changes of city, family losses, financial hardships, wars, pandemics, and social transformations, they preserved the values learned during childhood in the countryside of Sergipe: the importance of family, solidarity, and caring for one another.

Over the decades, their lives became inseparably intertwined. Levita devoted her life to caring for the family and her nieces and nephews; Zoraide opened paths through education and nursing, welcoming her siblings in Rio de Janeiro; while Zulina transformed manual work into sustenance and opportunity for her children. Each, in her own way, became essential support for the others — offering shelter, protection, encouragement, and love during life’s most difficult moments.

Today, at 108, 104, and 103 years old, they represent not only an extraordinary story of longevity, but also a rare example of family unity that withstood the test of time.

All-Time Record

Although the sisters currently hold the title of the world’s oldest known living trio of siblings, they have not yet surpassed the all-time record. That distinction was likely achieved in 2009 by the American sisters Maggie Renfro (1895–2010), Carrie Lee Miller (1902–2010), and Rosie Lee Warren (1906–2009). At the time of Warren’s death in December 2009, the sisters’ combined age stood at an extraordinary 325 years.

Zoraide, Zulina, and Levita, in November 2021.

Zoraide (right) on her 103rd birthday in November 2024, with Zulina (aged 101).

Levita (seated) on her 108th birthday; with her sisters Zulina (left) and Zoraide (right), along with Zoraide’s granddaughter.

https://www.city.naha.okinawa.jp/admin/toukei/1004537/1004564/1011247.html

There's also Mollie Horowitz, who is most likely born in March 1913.

2. Not Available, F, 112, 1912.11.15 --> fl. 2026.01.01 (lived in Kyōto City) 

It says here that she died at 112 years old, but shouldn't it be 113?