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FILE - In this April 16, 2017 file photo, the world's oldest person Violet Brown poses for a photo at her home in Duanvale, Jamaica. Brown has died in Jamaica at the age of 117 years and 189 days old, on Friday, Sept. 15, at a local hospital. With her death, the Gerontology Research Group lists Nabi Tajima of Japan was the oldest surviving person.[/caption]
Washington, Sep.19 (PTI): The world’s oldest living person and the last living subject of Queen Victoria, Violet Mosse-Brown, has passed away at the age of 117 in Jamaica.
Brown is also the first verified super-centenarian from Jamaica. In 2015, she was given a letter by Queen Elizabeth II in honor of her 115th birthday. Brown was born on March 10 in 1900, 67 years before Jamaica was founded, when it was still part of the British Empire.
Better known by family and friends as Aunt V, Brown officially claimed the title on July 27 this year after she became 117 years and 139 days old, the Guinness World Records said. Brown died on September 15 after being diagnosed with dehydration and irregular heartbeat.
“It was truly an honour to present Ms Violet Brown with her Guinness World Records certificate for being the oldest person living, as she put it, ‘in the entire world’,” said GWR’s Carlos Martinez. “Not every day does one have the opportunity to share some time with the person who has been on this planet the longest,” said Martinez.
“Really and truly, when people ask what I eat and drink to live so long, I say to them that I eat everything, except pork and chicken, and I don’t drink rum and dem tings,” Brown had said when asked about her secret to long life.
Brown has seven children in total, four of whom are still living. Her first child, Harland Fairweather, died on April 19 this year at the age of 97 years and 4 days. She shared another record for longevity with her 96-year-old child – the Highest combined age for a parent and child (living). Harland Fairweather was born in Jamaica on 15 April 1920, which meant that he and his mother had a combined age of 213 years 345 days in March earlier this year, Guinness World Records said. “As a child of 1900, Violet was born before the advent of zeppelins, vacuum cleaners and Nobel Prizes, and the world population was a quarter of what it is now,” said Craig Glenday, Editor-In-Chief of the Guinness World Records.
The previous oldest living person, Emma Morano, passed away on April 15 this year, aged 117 years, 137 days. The Oldest person ever to have lived is also female, Jeanne Calment from France who lived to 122 years and 164 days.
There is no current record holder for Oldest living male. Guinness World Records is consulting expertsto verify the potential successor for both the female and male titles.
According to the list of living super-centenarians maintained by the Gerontology Research Group, Nabi Tajima from Japan is now the oldest living person, aged 117 years and 46 days.
