World's oldest person dies 5 days after receiving the title

Just five days after being named the oldest person in the world, Gertrude Weaver of Camden, Arkansas, died Monday at the age of 116 from complications of pneumonia.

Last Wednesday, 117-year-old Misao Okawa of Japan died, making Weaver the world's oldest person, the Los Angeles Times reports. That day, she had her nails painted pink in celebration and thanked God for the fact she was still alive. "I've been here long," she told KARK-TV. "How do I look?"

Official records have Weaver’s birthday as July 4, 1898, and she had invited President Obama to attend her birthday party this year. She married in 1915 and had four children with her husband, who died in 1969. Weaver attended church every Sunday with her last surviving son, Joe, who turns 94 on Tuesday. The title will now be passed to Jeralean Talley, 115, who lives in Michigan with her 77-year-old daughter.

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