Ethel Caterham, a British woman born in Hampshire in 1909, celebrated her 117th birthday on August 21, 2026, becoming the world's oldest living person today [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. She currently resides in a care home in Surrey, England [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
Caterham has witnessed significant historical events, having lived through both World War I and World War II [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. In 1927, as a young woman, she traveled to India to work as an au pair for a military family [2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8]. She met her future husband, British Army Lieutenant Colonel Norman Caterham, in 1931 at a dinner in England; the couple later lived in Hong Kong where she founded a kindergarten [2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8]. Norman Caterham passed away in 1976; the couple had two daughters who predeceased Ethel [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
Her longevity includes remarkable milestones. She was still driving at age 97 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8]. At age 110, Caterham contracted COVID-19 but successfully recovered, making her one of the oldest known survivors of the disease [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
Ethel Caterham became the world's oldest living person in April 2025 after the death of 116-year-old Brazilian Inah Canabarro Lucas [6, 7]. King Charles III visited her that September, shortly after her 116th birthday [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. Caterham was also the last known surviving subject from the reign of King Edward VII [2, 3, 4, 5].
She has spoken warmly about her youth, once remarking, "所有女孩都愛慕你，都想嫁給你" ("All the girls admired you and wanted to marry you") [2]. One of her sisters also lived past 100, reaching age 104 [2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8].
The longest-lived person ever recorded, according to Guinness World Records, was Jeanne Calment of France who died in 1997 aged 122 years and 164 days [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8].
On her 117th birthday today, Ethel Caterham remains a remarkable link to over a century of history, celebrated by family and friends around her [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
