When someone reaches an age that defies imagination, the world naturally wants to know their secret. While many credit long life to miracle diets or trendy concoctions, 116-year-old Ethel Caterham offers a far simpler explanation—and she believes it’s the reason she has become the world’s oldest woman.
Born in 1909
At 116, Ethel Caterham is now officially the oldest living person on Earth, a title confirmed by Guinness World Records and LongeviQuest, the global authority on tracking supercentenarians. But her story extends far beyond a record-breaking age. Ethel has lived through more than a century of human history—witnessing the sinking of the Titanic, two World Wars, the first moon landing, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the rise of the internet, smartphones, and TikTok.
Born on August 21, 1909, in the quiet village of Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, she grew up in Tidworth, Wiltshire, as the second youngest of eight children. Longevity appears to run in the family: her sister Gladys lived to 104.
Ethel’s sense of adventure emerged early. At just 18, she set off to British India to work as an au pair for a military family. She remembered a household staffed by attendants and a rich blend of British and Indian customs—from Christmas celebrations to afternoon Tiffin and Tea. After four years working as a nanny in India and the UK, she met her future husband, Norman Caterham, a British Army major, at a dinner party in 1931.
They married in 1933 at Salisbury Cathedral, where Norman had once sung as a choirboy. His military career, which culminated with the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Royal Army Pay Corps, took them from Harnham to Hong Kong and Gibraltar. In Hong Kong, Ethel founded a nursery for both local and British children, teaching them English, games, and crafts. The couple later settled in Gibraltar, where they began their family, and eventually returned to Surrey to raise their two daughters, Gem and Anne. Norman died in 1976.
A life filled with milestones—and unexpected triumphs
Ethel’s life has not been without hardship. In 2020, at the age of 110, she contracted COVID-19—an illness that threatened even the healthiest younger adults—and made a full recovery.
So what does she credit for her astonishing longevity?
“Never arguing with anyone. I listen and I do what I like,” she told the BBC. A simple philosophy, delivered with the clarity of someone who has spent more than a century observing human behavior.
A historic achievement
Ethel became the oldest living person in the United Kingdom in 2022, and in April 2025, following the death of Brazil’s Sister Inah Canabarro Lucas, she became the world’s oldest verified person.
Her achievements have been celebrated at the highest levels. On her 115th birthday, King Charles III sent her a letter praising her “truly remarkable milestone.” By her 116th birthday, she had even met the king in person, reminiscing about his 1969 investiture.
On August 21, 2025, she made history again, becoming the first British person ever to reach the age of 116.
Despite her age, Ethel remained independent for much of her life. She drove until she was 97, played contract bridge well into her centenarian years, and only moved to a Surrey care facility after the death of her younger daughter, Anne, in 2020. Staff at the home have celebrated her remarkable achievement, writing:
“Your strength, spirit and wisdom are an inspiration to us all. Here’s to celebrating your remarkable journey.”
Ethel Caterham is far more than a record holder. She is a living testament to a life rich in resilience, curiosity, and grace—a woman who has met every decade with quiet strength and a steady sense of joy.
