119 candles on a cake

Sorry, but this is a sadblog.

The world's oldest woman has died at the grand old age of 119.

Ana Maria Perez died in hospital in Mexico from pneumonia, a Government spokesperson announced.

Sadly for Ana, she was never properly recognised as the world record holder because, despite holding a bona fide birth certificate stating her date of birth as 22nd June 1890, local officials had been unable to raise the necessary funds to facilitate the visit of a Guinness World Records' representative who could authenticate the entry.

Ana first came to the attention of Colima State's Institute for Attention to the Elderly when their representatives were visiting her 77-year-old granddaughter who needed their help. When the elderly woman told them she had a live grandmother the personnel were shocked and decided to search her out.

Despite not receiving the record breaker's title, the centenarian did get a visit from Mexico's President, Felipe Calderon who recognised her special age last year.

The reigning oldest person in the world, as recognised by Guinness, is Japan's Kama Chinen, 114, who received the title after Gertrude Baines from the US died in September. She was 115.

Image © Rob Lee via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

# posted by Fuse @ 8:21 AM