Maria Branyas Morera, the world’s oldest verified living person, has died at the age of 117, her family announced on August 20, 2024. She passed away peacefully in her sleep at her residence in Olot, Catalonia, Spain.
Born in San Francisco, California, on March 4, 1907, Branyas Morera moved to Spain with her family at the age of eight. She resided in Catalonia for the remainder of her life, spending the last two decades in the Santa Maria del Tura nursing home in Olot. Branyas Morera became the world’s oldest verified living person on January 17, 2023, following the death of French nun Lucile Randon, who was 118.
Branyas Morera’s family attributed her longevity to genetics, noting that she had never been hospitalized, broken any bones, and experienced no significant pain. In 2023, she participated in scientific research as scientists sought to understand the factors contributing to her remarkable health and memory at an advanced age. She had also recovered from a COVID-19 infection in 2020 at the age of 113.
Her family shared the news of her passing on social media, stating, “Maria Branyas has left us. She died as she wished: in her sleep, peacefully and without pain.” They added, “We will always remember her for her advice and kindness.”
Branyas Morera’s passing makes Tomiko Itooka of Japan, born on May 23, 1908, the world’s oldest living person. Itooka is currently 116 years old, according to the U.S. Gerontology Research Group.
Throughout her exceptionally long life, Branyas Morera lived through numerous historical events, including two World Wars, the Spanish Civil War, the 1918 flu pandemic, and the COVID-19 pandemic. She married Joan Moret in 1931 and had three children, 11 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.
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