Kane Tanaka, the world's oldest person, dies at 119

Kane Tanaka in 2019.
(Image credit: The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images)

The oldest person in the world, Kane Tanaka of Japan, died last week at 119 years old, Japanese officials said Monday.

Tanaka lived in a nursing home in Fukuoka, and held the title of world's oldest person for three years; earlier this month, she became the second-longest lived person in recorded history. Tanaka enjoyed eating chocolate and drinking soda, and credited her longevity to her family, faith, and getting enough sleep, NPR reports.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.