Ethel Caterham, officially recognised as the world’s oldest living person, has made history by becoming the first British person ever to reach the age of 117.
Born on August 21, 1909, Caterham celebrated her 117th birthday on August 21, 2026, extending a British longevity record she had already claimed a year earlier when she became the first Briton to reach 116. Guinness World Records confirmed the milestone, while longevity research organisation LongeviQuest has validated her age.
Caterham became the oldest living woman and the oldest living person overall in 2025 following the death of Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas. Her 117th birthday represents another major milestone in British longevity history. According to LongeviQuest, Caterham has surpassed all previous verified British age records and is now among the oldest validated people ever recorded.
Caterham was born in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, and was the second youngest of eight children. At the age of 18, she travelled alone to India in 1927, where she worked as a nanny for a British family. She later met Major Norman Caterham, whom she married at Salisbury Cathedral in 1933. The couple later lived in Hong Kong before eventually settling in Surrey. Caterham and her husband had two daughters, Gem and Anne. She was widowed in 1976 and has since outlived both of her daughters.
Caterham’s extraordinary longevity has attracted attention around the world. She was also visited by King Charles III, who met Britain’s oldest resident in 2025. During the meeting, Caterham charmed the King by recalling how popular he had been among young women when he was invested as Prince of Wales in 1969.
World Records says Caterham is the last living validated person born before 1910 and, at 117, is among the oldest people ever documented. Her achievement adds another remarkable chapter to British longevity history and makes her the first person from the United Kingdom to cross the 117-year milestone. From a childhood in Hampshire to decades spent in India, Hong Kong and England, Ethel Caterham’s 117-year life now stands as an extraordinary record of longevity and history.
