Ethel Caterham, believed to be the world's oldest living person, celebrated her 117th birthday on Thursday, marking another milestone in a life that has spanned two world wars and more than a century of global change.

According to the BBC, Caterham celebrated the occasion with family and friends at the care home where she lives in Surrey, near London.

To mark the achievement, Guinness World Records officially recognized Caterham as the first British woman to reach the age of 117. The longevity research organization LongeviQuest also confirmed that she is currently the 13th longest-lived documented person in history.

A life spanning more than a century

Born on Aug. 21, 1909, in Hampshire, southern England, Caterham witnessed both World War I and World War II during her lifetime.

She became the world's oldest living person following the death of Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, who passed away on April 30, 2025, at the age of 116 years and 326 days.

At the age of 18, Caterham moved to India, where she worked as a nanny before marrying Norman Caterham, a British Army officer. The couple later lived in Hong Kong and Gibraltar, where she developed a passion for working with children and eventually opened her own nursery school.

After returning to the United Kingdom, she and her husband raised two daughters.

Longevity and resilience

Caterham outlived her husband, who died in 1976, as well as both of her daughters, who passed away in the early 2000s and in 2020.

She also made headlines during the COVID-19 pandemic after recovering from the virus at the age of 110, becoming one of the oldest known survivors of the disease.

Her sister, Gladys Babylas, also lived beyond the age of 100, dying in 2002 at 107 years old.

In an interview earlier this year, Caterham attributed her long life to maintaining a positive outlook, saying the secret to longevity was "saying yes to every opportunity because you never know where it will lead."

According to Guinness World Records, the verified record for the longest human lifespan remains with Jeanne Calment of France, who died in 1997 at the age of 122 years and 164 days.(ILKHA)