World's oldest people born in the 1800s share the secrets of long life
By Glen James,
Emma Mountford
It seems it's not that unusual to live a very long life these days....well, as long as you're a woman and don't live in the UK
Longevity: Susannah Mushatt Jones, 113 (l), Gertrude Weaver, 116 (top r) and Misao Okawa, 116
Imagine living through the turn of two centuries, two world wars, and seeing 115 New Year's Eves?
Well that's the reality for these supercentarians (that's those who have lived past the grand old age of 110).
Five of the world's oldest people were all born in the 1800s and guess what? They are also all women.
Long life: Misao Okawa, the world's oldest Japanese woman
Misao Okawo, who will be celebrating her 117th birthday in March, is currently the world's oldest person.
The great-gran of six, who lives in Osaka in Japan, puts her long life down to eating sushi, getting eight hours sleep a night and relaxing.
Born in 1898, she got married in 1919 and has three children, four
grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Her husband died in 1931.
She was presented with a certificate from the Guiness Book of Records officially recognising her as the world's oldest living woman when she turned 115.
Japan is thought to have more than 50,000 people over 100-years-old, which is often attributed to the country's low fat diet of sushi and fish.
Oldest American: Gertrude Weaver - 116
AP
Secret? 'Treat people right and be nice to others'
Born on Independence Day 1898, and still said to be an independent
woman, Mrs Weaver, of Arkansas, says it's her faith that keeps her
going.
The wheelchair-dancing enthusiast wed in 1915, had four children and
is now visited regularly in her care home by a 78-year-old
granddaughter.
Now spending her days enjoying manicures and Bible study, she told Time magazine her secret to long life.
"Kindness," she said. "Treat people right and be nice to other people the way you want them to be nice to you."
Jeralean Talley - 115
Jeralean Talley is 115 and lives in Michigan.
She was born in 1899 and had one child with her husband, Alfred. Thelma, 76, now lives with her mum to take care of her.
She is the one of the oldest living people in America and has
revealed the reason why she has lived so long hasn't changed over the
years.
She told the Detroit Free Press: "It's all in the good Lord's hands. There's nothing I can do about it."
Susannah Mushatt Jones - 115
Getty
Feisty: Susannah Mushatt Jones
This feisty New Yorker, born on July 6, 1899, says she doesn't have a
secret to long life except that she doesn't drink or smoke and ensures
she gets a good night's sleep.
But she loves her bacon. According to Time, she loves bacon and eats it every morning.
She never had children, but saved her salary to help pay for nieces to go to college.
Another woman who made the list is Emma Morano-Martinuzzi, 115, from Italy.
The record for the world's oldest ever person is still held by Jeanne Calment from France - who passed away in 1997 aged 122.
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