The world's oldest person has died at 117

Misao Okawa, the world's oldest person, died on Wednesday of heart failure, officials from her nursing home announced. Nursing home employees told NBC News that Okawa had recently begun eating less than normal, and they were concerned for her health.

Okawa, who lived in Osaka, Japan, was declared the oldest living person by Guinness World Records in 2013. She celebrated her 117th birthday in March. Okawa was married at 21 and had three children, three grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

"She went so peacefully, as if she had just fallen asleep," Tomohiro Okada, an official at the nursing home, told The Associated Press. "We miss her a lot."

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

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

Gertrude Weaver, a 116-year-old woman living in Arkansas, is now the world's oldest living person.