Happy birthday to Maria Branyas Morera who was born on this day 117 years ago. Morera is the oldest living human in the world.
Morera outlived the prior oldest living person, Lucile Randon, who died last January. Born in San Francisco in 1907 to Spanish parents, Morera moved with them to Catalonia when she was 8-years-old. She never left and has lived in the same care facility for the last 23 years.
"Beyond being hard of hearing and having mobility issues, Maria has no physical or mental health problems," reports Guinness World Records. "In fact, she's in such good condition that she has agreed to undergo scientific testing by researchers who hope to gain further insight into the secrets to long life."
The scientists intend to compare samples of Morera's saliva, blood, and urine with her daughter who is 80 years old. Her daughter assists Morera with her social media.
"Good morning, world," she posted on X. "Today I turn 117 years old. I've come this far."
While there's certainly a genetic component to how long she's lived—there are others over 90 in her family—she also attributes her long life to "order, tranquility, good connection with family and friends, contact with nature, emotional stability, no worries, no regrets, lots of positivity, and staying away from toxic people."
Amen.
