The oldest woman in the world has died at the age of 117 (4 photos)

Pensioner Maria Brañas Morera died peacefully in her sleep. She spent the last two decades in a nursing home in Olot, northeastern Spain. During her remarkable life, she survived two world wars, the plague and the coronavirus.





Her family wrote: "Maria Brañas has left us. She died the way she wanted: in her sleep, peacefully and without pain. We will always remember her advice and kindness."



The grandmother ran a social media page and warned her followers on Tuesday that she was feeling weak.

"The time is coming. Don't cry, I don't like tears. And most importantly, don't suffer because of me. Wherever I go, I will be happy."

The Guinness Book of World Records officially recognized Branyas as the oldest person on Earth in January 2023, following the death of French nun Lucille Randon, who died at the age of 118.

After Branyas's death, her title passed to Japanese Tomiko Itooka, who was born on May 23, 1908.





Maria survived the Spanish flu of 1918, the First and Second World Wars, the Spanish Civil War and even had COVID-19 in 2020. Her youngest daughter, Rosa Moret, attributed her mother's longevity to "genetics."

"She has never been to the hospital, she has no fractures, she is fine, nothing hurts," Moret said in an interview with regional Catalan television in 2023.



Maria was born in San Francisco on March 4, 1907, shortly after her family emigrated from Mexico to the United States.

In 1915, the family returned to Spain and settled in Barcelona, ​​where in 1931, Maria married a doctor. The couple lived happily for four decades until Maria's husband died at the age of 72.

The woman has three children, 11 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren.

"Her mind is crystal clear. She remembers with amazing accuracy events that happened when she was only four years old. She does not have cardiovascular diseases, which are often found in older people. The only thing that worries her is problems with mobility and hearing. Amazing," a geneticist said about Maria in 2023.