Ethel Caterham, recognized as the world’s oldest living person, celebrated her 117th birthday with family and friends at a care home in Surrey, England. She attained the title after the passing of Brazil’s Ina Canabarro Lucas in April 2025. Born before the Titanic sank and the Russian Revolution, Caterham has lived through significant historical events, including both World Wars. Remarkably, she also survived a COVID-19 infection at the age of 110, becoming one of the oldest to recover. Her early life included a period working as a maid in India and later co-founding a nursery school in Hong Kong with her husband, Norman. Caterham has outlived her husband and both of her daughters, but was recently visited by King Charles III, whom she fondly recalled as a “dream” during his younger years. She remains the oldest living person today, though Jeanne Calment of France holds the overall record for longevity at 122 years.