Ethel Caterham, recognized as the world's oldest living person, is celebrating her 117th birthday on August 21 at her care home in Surrey, England. Her life has spanned significant historical events, including two world wars, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the first Moon landings, and the fall of the Berlin Wall. She also lived through six British monarchs and 28 prime ministers.
Caterham, born in 1909, only stopped driving at the age of 97 and survived a COVID-19 infection in 2020. She became the world's oldest person in April 2025 following the death of Sister Inah Canabarro Lucas of Brazil, who was also 116.
During a meeting with King Charles III in September of the previous year, shortly after her 116th birthday, Caterham held his hand and recalled his 1969 investiture as the Prince of Wales. She humorously noted, "All the girls were in love with you and wanted to marry you." Her secret to a long life, shared when she turned 115, is "never arguing with anyone, I listen and I do what I like."
Caterham was one of eight children and her sister Gladys Babilas lived to be 104. When Caterham was born, women in the UK had not yet gained the right to vote. Her early life included a three-week solo voyage to India at age 18 to work as an au pair. She returned to Britain in 1931, met her husband Norman Caterham, and they married in 1933. Norman, a lieutenant colonel in the Royal Army Pay Corps, and Ethel lived in various locations, including Hong Kong, where she established a nursery school. They had two daughters before returning to the UK, where Ethel has resided in Surrey for over 50 years. Her husband passed away in 1976, and both daughters have also died.
Caterham is the last surviving subject of King Edward VII, who died in 1910, and has seen the reigns of George V, Edward VIII, George VI, Elizabeth II, and now Charles III. Her life has also encompassed seismic global events such as the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, when she was approaching 36, and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. By the time Neil Armstrong walked on the moon in 1969, Caterham was nearing her 60th birthday. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 found her at age 79.
In a 2020 interview with BBC Radio Surrey, Caterham reflected, "I've taken everything in my stride, the highs and lows. I've been all over the world, and I've ended up in this lovely home, where everyone is falling over themselves for me, giving me everything I want." She emphasized the importance of family, stating, "Possessions don't matter a bit in the end - all you need is someone to look after you."