A woman believed to be the oldest in the world is set to celebrate her upcoming 124th birthday in Brazil, with state officials hosting a party for her to mark the occasion.
Amantina os Santos Duvirgem, also known as Dona Julia, was born on June 22, 1900, exactly six months before the death of Queen Victoria, according to her pension details. This would make her the oldest living person in the world.
Duvirgem, who lives in Serra Gaias, Parana state, reportedly thrives on boiled eggs and Bolo de Polvilho, a traditional local cake made with cassava flour.
Her social worker Helen Cristina Pereira said she does not have diabetes, headaches or high blood pressure.
‘Dona Julia is not on any medication and has no gray hair. And she likes to wear earrings and bracelets,” she said.
Amantina dos Santos Duvirgem, 124, poses at her 123rd birthday party in Tibagi, Brazil, on Friday, June 16, 2023. Tibagi City Hall is hosting another birthday party next week to celebrate her 124th birthday
Officials at Tibagi City Hall, in Campos Gerais do Parana, are throwing her a special party to celebrate on June 27, a few days after her official birth date.
Although her age is recognized by the Brazilian government, Dona Julia has been denied a place in the Guinness World Records due to a mix-up with her birth certificate.
However, her birthday was confirmed by statements from four people over the age of 70 who all knew her for at least twenty years.
“Dona Julia is the oldest woman in the world, the only thing missing is recognition through official record channels,” the town hall said a year ago.
This was reported by a Brazilian news channel Banda BDuvirgem spent a significant part of her life on the streets and was adopted at the age of 1,000 by a woman named Maria Ednir de Almeida.
Pictured: Amantina dos Santos Duvirgem celebrates her 123rd birthday last year with a cake in Paraba Stae, Brazil, at a party organized by state government officials
She was first issued a birth certificate when she started collecting her state pension, but her claim is currently not recognized by Guinness World Records. Image shows Duvirgem depicted last year during its 123rd birthday.
Last year, Duvirgem’s 123rd birthday party was also a big celebration, when Parana state officials threw her another party, during which she was seen eating a slice of cake in the hall of the Chapel of Sao Sebastiao.
The current Guinness World Record holder for the oldest person in the world is American-born Spanish supercentenarian Maria Branyas Morera, who turned 117 on March 4 this year.
Morera was born in San Francisco, United States, in 1907 and moved to Catalonia, Spain, as a child.
She spent the last 22 years of her life in a nursing home there.
Morera, who has three children, 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren, attributes her old age to “order, peace” and “staying away from toxic people.”
The current record holder recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest person in the world is American-Spanish Branyas Morera (pictured), who turned 116 years old on March 4 this year
Marero, pictured on her wedding day in 1931, aged 24, has survived two world wars, a civil war and two pandemics
And despite her age, she is active on social media and posts regularly on Twitter with the help of her daughter. She is also an avid pianist.
Commenting on her record age, she wrote on the microblogging site: “Sorry I didn’t respond individually.
“I am surprised and grateful for the anticipation created by the fact that I am the oldest living person in the world.
‘Thank you very much to everyone for the interest shown, even though I have not proven any merit. These days have been very overwhelming.”
She added that she would no longer respond to journalists’ requests for interviews, adding that she needed “peace and tranquility.”
Ms. Marero survived the Spanish flu pandemic, the Spanish Civil War and both world wars.
She also battled Covid-19 just weeks after celebrating her 113th birthday in 2020 and recovered within a day.
The oldest person ever certified was Jeane Calmert, who died in 1997 at the age of 122 years and 164 days.