She is now the oldest person in the world – that’s how old her predecessors were

The biblical figure Methuselah is said to have lived to be 969 years old. No other person in the scriptures can match that. Today, the term Methuselah is often used as a metaphor for the oldest person in a group. And of course there is also a Methuselah in the world. Or as it is called in French: Le Doyen or La Doyenne de l’Humanité.

On January 17, the French Lucile Randon died at the age of 118 years and 341 days, the last «Doyenne de L’Humanité». Being the oldest person in the world wasn’t just gratifying for the nun. Sister André, as she was called by her colleagues, told broadcaster BFMTV that she was proud, but that it was also a disaster: “It is a sad honor. I feel that I would be better off in heaven and that God doesn’t want me.”

Her spokesperson David Tavella now wrote on LinkedIn about Randon’s death: “I am sad but happy for her because she wanted to go to her beloved brother.” The French woman, who survived two world wars and the Spanish flu, also survived a corona infection shortly before her 117th birthday. She would have celebrated her 119th birthday on February 11.

After Randon’s death, US-born, Spanish-resident Maria Branyas Morera became the oldest living person at 115, according to the Gerontology Research Group. The new “Doyenne de L’Humanité” did not want to give interviews.

However, a spokeswoman for the Santa Maria del Tura Nursing Home in Olot, where Branyas Morera has lived for two decades, explained that her prominent prisoner has been in excellent health overnight. There will also be a “little party” behind closed doors in the coming days to celebrate “this very special event”.

Branyas Morera’s youngest daughter, Rosa Moret, who is also 78, believes her mother’s longevity is due to “good genes.” “She has never been in hospital and has never broken a bone. She is doing well and is not in pain,” Moret told Catalan regional television.

What else is known about the Methuselahs of this world: Of the 65 oldest people, 59 were women and only six were men. Most recently there were ten “Doyennes de L’Humanité”, the men were last represented by the Japanese Jiroemon Kimura, who passed away in June 2013 at the age of 116.

Jeanne Calment lived a whopping 122 years and 164 days, making her the oldest person to have ever lived. The French woman was born on February 21, 1875 and died on August 4, 1997. She was the “Doyenne de L’Humanité” for 3490 days (see below). The oldest man was also the last “Doyen de L’Humanité”: Jiroemon Kimura was 116 years and 54 days old.

Nine times since 1955, the oldest living person was under 110 years old, only three of them failed to reach “supercentenarian” status, the other six lived to be at least 110 years old. Christina Karnebeek-Backs narrowly crossed this line when she died at the age of 110 years and five days. She became the oldest living person in 1957 at the age of 107.

Jeanne Calment, mentioned above, was able to enjoy the title of “oldest living person” for 3490 days, that is, almost 10 years. This was much shorter with Emma Faust Tillman. The American died in January 2007 – four days after becoming the oldest living person.

The 64 oldest people since 1955 came from 17 different countries. Four of them had dual nationality: