A BRAZILIAN woman who claims to be the world’s oldest person ever has reached another birthday milestone living on a unique diet.
Amantina dos Santos Duvirgem, also known as Dona Julia, will now blow the candles to celebrate her 124th birthday.
NewsflashAmantina dos Santos Duvirgem posing at her 123rd birthday bash last year[/caption]
NewsflashAmantina credited her long life to her unique diet[/caption]
She is said to have been born on 22nd June 1900 – exactly six months before the death of Queen Victoria.
That makes her the oldest unverified person to live on earth.
Despite the Brazilian government officially recognising her age, Dona Julia has been denied a place in Guinness World Records because of a mix-up with her birth certificate.
She only got the document when she applied for her pension.
Her birthday was confirmed by statements from four people aged more than 70 who had all known her for at least 20 years.
Dona Julia, who lives in a specially adapted home in Serra Gaias, in the state of Parana, doesn’t speak – but certainly keeps herself strong thanks to her unique diet.
She thrives on boiled eggs and Bolo de Polvilho, a traditional local cake made with cassava flour.
Her social worker Helen Cristina Pereira explained: “She doesn’t have diabetes, headaches or high blood pressure.
“Dona Julia doesn’t take medicine and she doesn’t have grey hair. And she loves wearing earrings and bracelets.”
Officials at the Tibagi City Hall in Campos Gerais do Parana are now planning to throwing her a special party on 27th June.
Previous pictures of Dona Julia showed her tucking onto a slice of her birthday cake.
Footage also captured her dancing a little bit with the help of her carers and friends.
The current Guinness World Record holder for the world’s oldest person is American-Spanish Branyas Morera, who turned 117 on March 4 this year.
Born on 4 March 1907 in San Francisco, the grandmother has lived her life since she was eight in Spain‘s Catalonia – and has been in the same nursing home for the past 23 years.
Maria scooped the incredible title of the world’s oldest living person after French nun Lucile Randon died aged 118 in January last year.
Interestingly, Maria is quite active on X, formerly Twitter, and posts regularly with the help of other people.
She wrote a post saying: “Good morning, world. Today I turn 117 years old. I’ve come this far.”
Maria has lived through the 1918 pandemic, the two World Wars and Spain’s civil war
She got married in 1931 to a Catalan doctor named Joan Moret, with whom she had three children.
While her husband passed away in 1976, Maria has outlived their only son, August, who died in a tragic tractor accident at the age of 86.
She now has two daughters, 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Maria played the piano from when she was a child to the age of 108 years old when she lost the nimbleness in her fingers.
Brave Maria also survived Covid-19, which she contracted only a few weeks after turning 113.
After spending time in the hospital, she made a full recovery within days and was back to living her normal life in the nursing home.
She also scooped the title of the world’s oldest Covid survivor title in 2020, but it was later by Lucile Randon, who was three years older than Maria.
The oldest person ever established was Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who lived to the age of 122 years and 164 days.
World’s oldest people
Edie Ceccarelli – Born in California on 5 February 1908, he was the first of seven children to Italian immigrants Agostino and Maria Recagno. He is currently 116 years old.
Tomika Itooka – Born on May 23, 1908, in the city of Osaka, she is the oldest validated person living in Japan. she is currently 115 years old.
Inah Canabarro Lucas – Born on June 8, 1908, she is the oldest person currently living in Latin America. Having become a nun in the 1920s, she’s also the oldest living person in this profession. She is currently 115 years old.
Juan Vicente Pérez Mora – Born on May 27, 1909, holds the coveted title of being the oldest validated living man in the world. He’s held this title since the 18th of January 2022. He is currently 114 years old.
Elizabeth Francis – Born on July 25, 1909, he is the oldest known person in the state of Texas. Francis has three grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren. He is currently 114 years old.
Ethel Caterham – Born on August 21, 1909, she is the oldest person living in the UK and has spent more than the last 50 years living in Surrey, England. She is currently 114 years old.
Okagi Hayashi – Born on September 2, 1909, is the fourth-oldest living person in Japan. Hayashi had 8 children, 22 grandchildren, 39 great-grandchildren and 5 great-great-grandchildren. He is currently 114 years old.
Pearl Berg – Born on October 1, 1909, Pearl Berg is the second-oldest known living person in the U.S. state of California, as well as the oldest known living Jewish person. He is currently 114 years old.
Tane Matsubara – Born on October 15, she is the oldest known living resident in the Hokkaido Prefecture. Currently 114 years old.
