World's Oldest Person Turns 117 Amid Family Celebration in Surrey

Ethel Caterham, recognized as the world’s oldest living person, turned 117 on Friday at her care facility in Surrey, England, surrounded by relatives and fellow residents. The celebration featured afternoon tea, a Frank Sinatra tribute singer, and her favorite song “Three Coins in a Fountain.” Born in 1909, she has witnessed events from the sinking of the Titanic to the COVID-19 pandemic, even recovering from the virus at age 110.

She traveled to India as a young nanny, later marrying British Army officer Norman Caterham, with whom she had two daughters, both of whom she has outlived. After Norman’s death in 1976, she learned to drive and kept active until age 97. Recent visits from King Charles and congratulations from the world’s oldest man, João Marinho Neto, highlighted the occasion.