National longevity recordholders

National longevity recordholders are those individuals who have survived to the oldest age in a given country. Such records can only be determined to the extent that the given country's records are reliable. Comprehensive birth registration largely came into being in the 20th century and, as of 2005, reliable records are necessarily fragmentary. The earliest comprehensive recordkeeping systems arose in Europe, in countries such as Sweden and the Netherlands. The United Kingdom organized a central recordkeeping system for England and Wales in 1837, which was compulsory by 1874.

This article gives the recordholders for various countries to the extent that they have been established. Male recordholders are also noted. Those born in one country who moved to another are identified insofar as information is available. If more than one recordholder is listed, this is due to disputed claims, alternative claims, or the lack of sufficient documentary evidence to make a clear determination between claimants. Countries are listed by nations in order of the age of the overall recordholder.

This article uses links to those with biographies and boldfaces the names of those without such biographies. However, some bold-faced entries have biographies; they just haven't been linked to them yet.

• For a global overview of longevity recordholders, see this table of countries sorted by age of recordholder.
• There is a separate list of the living national longevity recordholders.
• For the need to treat exaggerated claims with skepticism given the extreme documented mortality curves see longevity myths.

Algeria

Note: Algeria was legally a part of France from 1890 to 1962. Both Anne Primout and Emile Fourcade were French-speaking colonials ^{[citation needed]}.

Algerian-born turned Frenchwoman ^{[citation needed]} Anne Primout (October 5, 1890 - March 26, 2005) holds the Algerian record at 114 years and 172 days.

The male record belonged to Emile Fourcade at 111 years and 153 days, but since then Maurice Noël Floquet has surpassed this (see France).

Australia

Christina (Clay) Cock holds the female record at 114 years, 148 days (December 25, 1887–May 22, 2002).

John Henry "Jack" Lockett holds the male record at 111 years, 123 days (January 22, 1891–May 25, 2002).

Austria

Maria Mika holds the female record at 112 years, 178 days (May 23 1882-November 17 1994).

Leopold Vietoris, a notable mathematician, holds the male national record at 110 years, 309 days (June 4, 1891–April 9, 2002).

Belgium

Joanna Catharina "Woinke" (Turcksin) DeRoover holds the female record at 112 years, 186 days (June 3, 1890–December 6, 2002).

As Jan Machiel Reyskens (see Netherlands) retained Belgian citizenship, some consider him Belgium's male recordholder, which is correct officially. The oldest man who lived his entire life in Belgium however is Louis Marion, who was even the oldest inhabitant at the time of his death at age 110 years, and 79 days (October 10, 1893-December 28, 2003).

Canada

Marie-Louise Meilleur holds the documented female record at 117 years, 230 days (August 29, 1880–April 16, 1998).

Herman Smith-Johannsen, nicknamed Jackrabbit Johannsen, is often claimed as the documented male recordholder at 111 years, 204 days (June 15, 1875–January 5, 1987). Though he was born in Norway and died there visiting family, he spent the bulk of his life in Canada (and introduced cross-country skiing to the country) and is buried there. The oldest man to actually die in Canada was UK-born George Ives (the last Second Boer War veteran, November 17, 1881 - April 12, 1993) at 111 years, 146 days. The oldest native-born Canadian man was Harry Chaloner (May 10, 1874 - October 30, 1984) at 110 years 173 days (Harry emigrated to the U.S., however, and the SSDI listed him as younger than claimed).

Cape Verde

As Adelina Domingues was born in Cape Verde (though she later emigrated to the United States), she may be considered to hold the overall record at 114 years, 183 days (February 19, 1888–August 21, 2002).

Czech Republic

Emilie Doležalová holds the Czech record at 110 years, 153 days (June 7, 1894 - November 17, 2004).

Denmark

Anne Matthiesen holds the Danish record at 111 years, 114 days (November 26, 1884–March 19, 1996).

Two Danish emigrants have lived longer: Johanne Svensson (January 24, 1892–May 29, 2003), who died in Sweden, is the oldest Danish-born woman (11 days older than Matthiesen), and Christian Mortensen went on to become the oldest man in the world (see below at United States).

Ecuador

María Capovilla (September 14, 1889 – August 27, 2006) was the longest-lived Ecuadorean ever and the only Ecuadorean supercentenarian on record. When she died at age 116 years and 347 days, she had been the oldest living person in the world for 2 years and 3 months.

Finland

Lempi Maria "Maija" Rothovius holds the official female record at 112 years, 259 days (October 2, 1887–June 17, 2000). She also holds the female record for the Nordic countries.

France

Jeanne Calment holds the female record at 122 years, 164 days (February 21, 1875–August 4, 1997). She also holds the overall world record.

Algerian-born Emile Fourcade held the male record at 111 years, 153 days (July 29, 1884–December 29, 1995), before Maurice Floquet (December 25, 1894-November 10, 2006) broke the record on May 28, 2006 until he died at 111 years, 320 days.

Germany

According to the German government:

Maria Laqua (February 12, 1889–February 9, 2002) holds the female record. Hermann Dörnemann holds the male record at 111 years, 279 days (May 27, 1893–March 2, 2005).

However, in neither case have documents been made available to researchers. These cases are not in the Guinness Book, which dropped the "oldest by nationality" category in 1991. German-born Charlotte Benkner, who emigrated to the United States, surpassed all these lifespans in reaching 114 years, 180 days, and may therefore have some claim to the record.

Greece

As Gregory Pandazes was born in Greece (though he later emigrated to the United States), he may be considered to hold the male record at 110 years, 341 days (January 15, 1873–December 22, 1983).

Ioanna Lambropoulos holds the female record at 110 years, 25 days (May 8, 1884 - June 2, 1994). Lambrini Tsiatoura (1870 - February 19, 1981) hols the record for the longest-lived person who died in Greece at 110 years, + days.

Hungary

Csiki Sándorné, née Földes Rozália (having lived in Lepsény), born January 18, 1894, died July 22, 2004, held the female record with 110.5 years (at least among people who died recently).

Varga Jánosné, née Irma Néni, born March 10, 1895, died in August 2005, was the following record holder with 110 years and approx. 5 months.

The last officially certified Hungarian record-holder was a male: Molnár Gergely András, who was born November 16, 1897 and died March 22, 2006 at age 108 years and 116 days.

Among emigrants, Elizabeth Stefan of Connecticut (born May 13, 1895 in Hungary, emigrated to the US in 1913) is now 111 years old.

(Note: names are in the Hungarian order, with surname first.)

Ireland

Katherine Plunket (November 22, 1820–October 14, 1932) holds the Irish record, at 111 years 327 days (see Biography here).

Italy

The longest-lived Italian was Virginia Dighero-Zolezzi (December 24, 1891-December 28, 2005). She is the only Italian to have reached 114 years of age.

Antonio Todde holds the male record at 112 years, 346 days (January 22, 1889–January 3, 2002).

Japan

Shigechiyo Izumi's claim of 120 years, 237 days (June 29, 1865–February 21, 1986) is accepted by the Guinness Book of World Records, but there is serious doubt among scholars as to whether he was in fact conflated with an older brother who died young.

Without more evidence for Izumi, most regard Tane Ikai (January 18, 1879–July 12, 1995) as the oldest reliably documented Japanese case at 116 years, 175 days. Certain older claims have been reported as valid by the Japanese government in the 1960s, but documentation was then of a lower standard.

Without Izumi, the oldest confirmed male Japanese is Yukichi Chuganji at 114 years, 189 days (March 23, 1889–September 28, 2003).

Morocco

Consueleo Moreno holds the record at 111 years 282 days (Feb 5 1893-Nov 13 2004).

Netherlands

Hendrikje van Andel holds the overall national record at 115 years and 62 days and was thought to be the world's oldest living person from May 29, 2004 until her death on August 30, 2005 (though later superseded by Maria Capovilla). She was born June 29, 1890.

Thomas Peters has a claim to holding the male record at 111 years and 354 days, but the dates given in this (and his) article (April 6, 1745–March 26, 1857) equal 112 years and 80 days. Either way, the correlation of the birth and death records used to confirm his claim is considered questionable.

If Peters is discounted, the Belgian-born Jan Machiel Reyskens would hold the male record at 111 years, 241 days (May 11, 1878–January 7, 1990). Jan Pieter Bos would then hold the male record as the longest-lived native Dutchman at 111 years, 156 days (July 12, 1891–December 15, 2002).

New Zealand

The oldest New Zealander was Ethel Booth, who died aged 110 years and 55 days (December 25, 1890–February 18, 2001).

U.K.-born Florence Finch (born December 22, 1893) however celebrated her 112th birthday in 2005.

Norway

Maren Bolette Torp holds the female record at 112 years, 61 days (December 21, 1876–February 20, 1989).

As Herman Smith-Johannsen (see Canada) was born in Norway, some consider him Norway's male recordholder. Otherwise it has to be Olav Hovatn, who died at 110 years, 185 days (October 23 1893-April 26 2004.

Peru

Julia Dougherty, who emigrated to the USA, holds the record at 110 years (1893-2003).

Poland

Rozalia Mielczarek (1868 - January 7, 1981) holds the Polish record, at 112 years + days.

Portugal

Maria do Couto Maia-Lopes holds the overall national record. She lived to be 114 years, 274 days old (October 24, 1890-July 25, 2005).

José Ferreira-Andrade holds the male record at 109 years, 304 days (April 24, 1890-February 22, 2000).

Puerto Rico

Emiliano Mercado del Toro (born August 21, 1891) holds the overall record as of May 21, 2006, and is the Guinness World Records recognised world's oldest living man.

Ramona Trinidad Iglesias-Jordan (oldest person in the world at the time of her death) holds the female record at 114 years and 272 days (August 31, 1889–May 29, 2004).

Romania

Anitica Butariu (or Anicuta Butariu) is considered to hold the record at 115 years, 157 days (June 17, 1882–November 21, 1997). However, there has been some question as to the source of the available documentation.

Russia

Khasako Dzugayev died aged 110 years + days (August 7, 1860 - August 1970).

Russian-born Helen Czechowicz died in the US February 3 2006, aged 110 years and 33 days. Her age was confirmed through a 1913 ship manifest.

Slovenia

Marija Bandelj holds the female record at 108 years, 41 days (March 6, 1897–April 16, 2005).

South Africa

Johanna Booyson holds the apparent South African record at 111 years, 151 days (January 17, 1857–June 16, 1968).

Spain

Joan Riudavets holds the overall and the male record for Spain at 114 years, 81 days (December 15, 1889–March 5, 2004).

Maria del Carmen Figueiro Freiria de Salgueiro, commonly known as Carmen Figueiro Freiria, holds the female record at 113 years, 209 days (October 28, 1883–May 25, 1997).

Sweden

Elsa Moberg holds the female record at 112 years, 143 days (June 30, 1889–November 20, 2001).

Anders Engberg holds the male record at 111 years, 128 days (July 1, 1892–November 6, 2003).

Switzerland

From 1970–2004, four persons in Switzerland lived to be 110 years or older; they died between 1993 and 2001, according to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office quoted by a journalist (see[1]), but only one of them is known. Since October 2004, the oldest Swiss person had been Anna Ringier, born April 12, 1896, who died in 2006 at the age of 110. Information from the Thatcher-Kannisto database indicates the Swiss record to be age 111, but no name is given.

United Kingdom

Charlotte Hughes holds the female record at 115 years, 252 days (August 1, 1877–March 17, 1993).

John Evans of Wales holds the male record at 112 years, 295 days (August 19, 1877–June 10, 1990).

United States

Sarah Knauss holds the female record at 119 years, 97 days (September 24, 1880–December 30, 1999).

Christian Mortensen holds the male record at 115 years, 252 days (August 16, 1882–April 25, 1998). Mortensen immigrated to the USA from Denmark. Among native-born men, the Social Security Administration recognizes Mathew Beard at 114 years, 222 days (July 9, 1870–February 16, 1985); however, the census record match used in determining this case is considered questionable. The oldest American-born man clearly matched by early records is Fred H. Hale, Sr. at 113 years, 354 days (December 1, 1890–November 19, 2004).

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