27th July 2026

Ethel Caterham

The oldest verified person currently alive

Year 1909 — present
Location Surrey, England
Ethel Caterham

Born in Hampshire five years before the First World War, Caterham is the oldest verified living person on earth, a title she has held since April 2025. She is also the last surviving person to have lived under Edward VII.

At 18 she went to British India to work as a nanny. She met Norman in 1931 and married him in Salisbury Cathedral, later travelling with him to Hong Kong on an army posting.

116
years old

Not only has she outlived her husband, who died in 1976, but also her two daughters. Caterham drove until she was 97; at the staggering age of 110 she caught and survived Covid-19; she has also met Charles III.

Her advice? Never argue with anyone, listen and do what you like.

The all-time record belongs to Jeanne Calment of France, who reached 122 years and 164 days. Caterham needs six more years. At her pace, that's not a stretch.