Maria Branyas Morera: World's oldest person dies at 117 in Spain

She was 117.

"Maria Branyas has left us. She has died as she wanted: in her sleep, peacefully and without pain," read the post on her official X page.

Guinness World Records also confirmed her death and said the organization was saddened by the death of Maria.

"Aged 117 years 168 days, she was the eighth-oldest person (with a verifiable age) in history," GWR said in a statement.

She was confirmed to be the world’s oldest woman (and person overall) in January 2023, following the death of Lucile Randon (France).

Maria attributed her longevity to “order, tranquility, good connection with family and friends, contact with nature, emotional stability, no worries, no regrets, lots of positivity, and staying away from toxic people.”

She was earlier quoted as saying by GWR: “I think longevity is also about being lucky. Luck and good genetics.”

She was born in San Francisco, USA, in 1907.

After living in both Texas and New Orleans, the family decided to return to Catalonia in 1915, amidst the First World War.

They later settled in Spain.

Aged 24, Maria married her husband, Dr Joan Moret, and they went on to have three children.

After living through both World Wars, the Spanish Civil War, and the Spanish Flu pandemic, María also survived COVID-19 in 2020.