World's oldest woman says she subsists on eggs and cookies

Emma Morano celebrated a birthday Tuesday — but given she was born Nov. 29, 1899, the proceedings weren't exactly business as usual. Morano is the oldest woman alive, and Tuesday marked her 117th birthday.

Morano is thought to be the only known person alive born in the 19th century — and in her opinion, her longevity is thanks to her "being single and getting to bed early," The Independent reported. Morano has lived alone since she left her husband in 1938, and her only son died in infancy.

As for her diet, it's not exactly run-of-the-mill. "I eat two eggs a day, and that's it. And cookies. But I do not eat much because I have no teeth," she said in an interview with Agence France-Presse published last month. She's been eating two eggs — one raw and one cooked — every day since she was 20, and she avoids eating meat. She has yet to decide if she'll enjoy a slice of birthday cake Tuesday because she said she "did not feel good" after she ate "a little" last year.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Morano lives in the northern Italian town of Verbania, in what AFP described as a "small two-room apartment." She typically spends her time "sleeping or snacking," AFP reported, but on her birthday she has come to expect guests. "People come," Morano said. "I don't invite anybody but they come. From America, Switzerland, Austria, Turin, Milan ... They come from all over to see me."