The world’s oldest person, Ethel Caterham, has become the first British person ever to reach the age of 117, marking another extraordinary milestone in human longevity.
Caterham celebrated her 117th birthday on Friday, August 21, at her care home in Surrey, where she continues to live a quiet life surrounded by family, friends and caregivers.
Born on August 21, 1909, in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, Caterham became the world’s oldest living person in April 2025 following the death of Brazil’s Inah Canabarro Lucas.
She subsequently became Britain’s oldest person ever after surpassing Charlotte Hughes, who died in 1993 at the age of 115.
Her latest birthday has now taken that British longevity record to another unprecedented level.
Ben Meyers, CEO of LongeviQuest, described Caterham’s achievement as “truly historic,” noting that she became the first British person to reach 116 last year and has now become the first to reach 117.
Caterham is also ranked among the oldest people ever documented and remains the last known living person born before 1910.
Her extraordinary lifespan has stretched across some of the most significant events in modern history.
She was born before the First World War and the sinking of the Titanic, and has lived through two world wars, the Russian Revolution and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Caterham contracted COVID-19 in 2020 at the age of 110 and survived the illness, making her one of the oldest documented people to overcome the virus.
Her life has also been marked by adventure.
At 18, she travelled alone by ship to India, where she worked as a nanny for a British family.
She later met Major Norman Caterham, a British Army officer, and married him at Salisbury Cathedral in 1933.
When Norman was posted to Hong Kong, Caterham moved there with him and established a nursery for local and British children.
The couple eventually returned to Surrey and had two daughters, Gem and Anne.
Caterham later outlived her husband, who died in 1976, as well as both daughters. She now has three granddaughters and five great-grandchildren.
Her remarkable age has attracted attention far beyond longevity researchers.
King Charles III visited Caterham at her care home in September 2025, shortly after she turned 116.
During their meeting, Caterham recalled Charles’ 1969 investiture as Prince of Wales and joked that “all the girls were in love” with him.
Caterham has previously spoken about embracing opportunities, maintaining a positive outlook and practising moderation as principles that helped shape her long life.
Her care home has also named its garden “Ethel’s Garden” in her honour.
At 117, Caterham now occupies a rare place in human history.
She is not only the world’s oldest living person but also Britain’s oldest-ever resident, with her life spanning more than 11 decades of social, political, technological and medical change.
For now, she remains one of the few people alive who can personally recall a world before 1910 — and the only known living person born in that remarkable era.
