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07/03/2025 11:04 am
Ethel Caterham is now within one month of the age of Charlotte Hughes (115-228).
Should she go on to overtake Charlotte Hughes, then the latter's record as the oldest person in the UK (which appears to have been set in late February 1992), would then finally be broken after more than 33 years.
Ethel Caterham is the only member of the UK top 4, born after 1885. This is unusual given the generally far heavier numbers of supercentenarians born in the 1890s and beyond.
07/03/2025 9:40 pm
This would be a huge milestone indeed. April 5th is D-Day for equalling the record.
https://finbarrconnolly.com/chronicle/
ChrisR reacted
08/03/2025 1:59 am
Ethel Caterham is now within one month of the age of Charlotte Hughes (115-228).
Should she go on to overtake Charlotte Hughes, then the latter's record as the oldest person in the UK (which appears to have been set in late February 1992), would then finally be broken after more than 33 years.
Ethel Caterham is the only member of the UK top 4, born after 1885. This is unusual given the generally far heavier numbers of supercentenarians born in the 1890s and beyond.
What's interesting is that 5 out of the top 7 oldest validated British people ever were also born in or before 1885. It's very interesting, because British women did not suffer massive demographic losses from the World Wars like British men did.
08/03/2025 2:45 am
But that argument would largely be the same for all of the other European countries.
By comparison with pretty much any other top 10 I can find - that from the United Kingdom has far more older cases. For example only two exist from 1900 onwards.
By comparison, the all time top 10 has 6 from 1900 onwards, each of Europe, Japan and Brazil have 7, France and Italy have 6 and many others are similar.
The USA however only has one.
If we then consider the USA and UK as "laggards" in this respect ..... then the USA at least has 6 born from 1890 onwards, whilst the UK only appears to have 4.
08/03/2025 2:48 am
Yeah, fair points. Interestingly enough, it's a similar story for American men post-1896. After Walter Breuning, no American man has actually managed to reach age 113+.
06/04/2025 7:00 am
I think the same would apply in terms of the top 10 oldest ever persons from Europe.
Mrs Caterham would take that position as well as the oldest ever from the UK.
06/04/2025 7:18 am
Ethel could easily become the first British 116+ year-old in slightly under half a year's time, being the British female equivalent of what Henry Allingham was for British males!
Topic starter
06/04/2025 8:26 am
Today Ms. Ethel Caterham ties Ms. Charlotte Hughes of UK at 115 years, 228 days.
The joint-oldest known british people are Ms. Charlotte Hughes, who died in 1993 at the age of 115 years and 228 days, and sharing the title Ms. Ethel Caterham born 21st Aug 1909 and living.
By days lived, Ms. Caterham is now the outright recordholder (42.232 d. vs 42.231 d.).
After 32 years the title for UK oldest person ever could be finally broken.
http://www.supercentenariditalia.it/persone-viventi-piu-longeve-in-italia.
Persone viventi più longeve in Italia – Supercentenari d'Italia (supercentenariditalia.it)
diego reacted
07/04/2025 12:50 am
It’s after midnight in the UK now … so we’ll see what transpires.
I was speaking with a UK friend yesterday who has no interest in supercentenarians and he knew of this impending matter.
Perhaps our UK members have also seen something in the media and hopefully there will be some sort of commemoration today.
Topic starter
07/04/2025 8:32 am
Ms. Caterham, reaching the age of 115 years and 229 days on 7 April 2025 (today), has become the UK’s oldest person ever.
After 32 years, the British longevity record set by Charlotte Hughes is finally broken.
Ms. Caterham is alive and well and she is aware of becoming the UK’s oldest ever person.
Congratulations!
This post was modified 19 hours ago 2 times by Ale76
http://www.supercentenariditalia.it/persone-viventi-piu-longeve-in-italia.
Persone viventi più longeve in Italia – Supercentenari d'Italia (supercentenariditalia.it)
Beaumont reacted
07/04/2025 8:52 am
Ms. Caterham, reaching the age of 115 years and 229 days on 7 April 2025 (today), has become the UK’s oldest person ever.
After 32 years, the British longevity record set by Charlotte Hughes is finally broken.
Ms. Caterham is alive and well and she is aware of becoming the UK’s oldest ever person.
Congratulations!
Does she also aim to become the second-oldest European person ever, breaking Maria Branyas Morera's record? Slightly less than two years to go for her.
Topic starter
07/04/2025 9:15 am
Does she also aim to become the second-oldest European person ever, breaking Maria Branyas Morera's record? Slightly less than two years to go for her.
@futurist Better to remind you:
| Rank | Name | Age | Lifespan | Country |
| 1 | Jeanne Calment | 122 years, 164 days | 1875-1997 | France |
| 2 | Kane Tanaka | 119 years, 107 days | 1903-2022 | Japan |
| 3 | Sarah Knauss | 119 years, 97 days | 1880-1999 | USA |
| 4 | Lucile Randon | 118 years, 340 days | 1904-2023 | France |
| 5 | Nabi Tajima | 117 years, 260 days | 1900-2018 | Japan |
| 6 | Marie-Louise Meilleur | 117 years, 230 days | 1880-1998 | Canada |
| 7 | Violet Brown | 117 years, 189 days | 1900-2017 | Jamaica |
| 8 | María Branyas Morera | 117 years, 168 days | 1907-2024 | USA/Spain |
| 9 | Emma Morano | 117 years, 137 days | 1899-2017 | Italy |
| 10 | Chiyo Miyako | 117 years, 81 days | 1901-2018 | Japan |
http://www.supercentenariditalia.it/persone-viventi-piu-longeve-in-italia.
Persone viventi più longeve in Italia – Supercentenari d'Italia (supercentenariditalia.it)
07/04/2025 10:29 am
@ale76 yeah, for her to become the second-oldest European person everz she would have to surpass Lucile Randon, which I don't see happening but it is not impossible.
07/04/2025 11:51 am
Even after the group Ale has tabled, there are 5 other European women between 116-37 and 116-128.
For those who target milestones, all of these 5 are still a long way off for Mrs Caterham - with most over 6 months away.
That is a long time at these sort of ages, so for now she is only just into the Europe all time top 10.
This post was modified 16 hours ago by ChrisR
07/04/2025 1:32 pm
When I started learning about supercentenarians back in 2010–2011, the mighty British record of Charlotte Hughes was already among the oldest national records. It's astonishing it stood for more than three decades altogether. And even more astonishing is the new recordholder – Ethel Catherham. Congratulations to her! 🌺
ESO Correspondent for Hungary (since 2020)
GRG Correspondent for Hungary (2020-2023)
Tracker and researcher of Hungarian and other Central European (super)centenarians (since 2016)
Enthusiast of extreme longevity (since childhood)
08/04/2025 12:52 am
Does she also aim to become the second-oldest European person ever, breaking Maria Branyas Morera's record? Slightly less than two years to go for her.
@futurist Better to remind you:
Rank Name Age Lifespan Country 1 Jeanne Calment 122 years, 164 days 1875-1997 France 2 Kane Tanaka 119 years, 107 days 1903-2022 Japan 3 Sarah Knauss 119 years, 97 days 1880-1999 USA 4 Lucile Randon 118 years, 340 days 1904-2023 France 5 Nabi Tajima 117 years, 260 days 1900-2018 Japan 6 Marie-Louise Meilleur 117 years, 230 days 1880-1998 Canada 7 Violet Brown 117 years, 189 days 1900-2017 Jamaica 8 María Branyas Morera 117 years, 168 days 1907-2024 USA/Spain 9 Emma Morano 117 years, 137 days 1899-2017 Italy 10 Chiyo Miyako 117 years, 81 days 1901-2018 Japan
Sorry, I forgot about Lucile because she was so recent! Still, surpassing Maria Branyas Morera would make her the third-oldest validated European person ever and the oldest validated non-French European person ever!
Quite amazing that both of the validated European women who lived beyond age 117.5+ were from France, from Arles and Ales!
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