World’s oldest person Chiyo Miyako is dead

The world’s oldest person has died at the age of 117, it was confirmed today.

Chiyo Miyako, from Japan, died on Sunday, days after official evidence of her applications for the official Guinness World Record titles of oldest person living and oldest person living (female) were approved.

The mum was born in Wakayama in the Kansai region of Japan on May 2, 1901.

Chiyo’s family today described her as a “chatty goddess” and told how patient and kind she was.

She was fascinated by calligraphy, the visual art of writing and fonts, and loved eating sushi and eels.

                            © Credits: guinnessworldrecords

She also loved to travel and her husband Shoji worked for Japanese National Railways.

A dad of five, also from Japan, was recognised as the oldest man in the world at 112 in April.

The Guinness World of Records conducts extensive research in each of its categories.

Robert Young, Guinness World Records’ senior consultant for gerontology and the co-director for the Gerontology Research Group, carries out an evidence review process.