Emma Morano

Italian supercentenarian, the oldest living person in Europe since December 2015, and in the world since May 2016. She was the oldest of 8 brothers and sisters. 2 of her sisters died aged 102 and 100. In October 1926, she married Giovanni Martinuzzi (1901–1978), and in 1937 her only child was born but died when he was only six months old. The marriage was not happy, so in 1938 Morano separated from her husband, driving him out of the house; despite the couple's separation, they remained married until his death in 1978. Until 1954, she worked at Maioni Industry, a jute factory in her town. She subsequently worked in the kitchen of Collegio Santa Maria, a Marianist boarding school in Pallanza, until her retirement at the age of 75. Morano was still living alone in her home on her 115th birthday. When asked about the secret of her longevity, she said that she had never used drugs, eats three eggs a day, drinks a glass of homemade brandy, and enjoys a chocolate sometimes, but, above all, she thinks positively about the future. Morano credits her long life to her diet of raw eggs and being single. 1 of the 5 oldest people (verified) ever; Link to Wikipedia biography