World's Oldest Person : Maria Branyas, Passes Away at 117

Spain's Maria Branyas Morera, the world's oldest known person, passed away peacefully at the age of 117. Born in the US in 1907, she lived through two world wars, the 1918 flu pandemic, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Her family announced her death on social media, stating, "Maria Branyas has left us. She died as she wished: in her sleep, peacefully and without pain."

Maria spent the last two decades at the Santa Maria del Tura nursing home in Olot, Spain. Despite feeling weak in her final days, she expressed her acceptance of death, asking her loved ones not to cry or suffer for her.

Officially recognized as the world's oldest person by Guinness World Records in January 2023, following the death of French nun Lucile Randon, Maria attributed her longevity to a life of order, tranquility, and strong connections with family and friends. Her daughter, Rosa Moret, credited her mother's long life to genetics and noted that Maria had never been hospitalized or suffered major health issues.

Maria was born in San Francisco and returned to Spain with her family in 1915. She married a doctor in 1931, with whom she had three children, 11 grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren.