Already have an account?
Get back to the

World’s Oldest Person Dead: Misao Okawa Dies at Age 117

Misao Okawa
The world's oldest person, Misao Okawa, died at the age of 117 on Wednesday, April 1 — details

The world's oldest person, Misao Okawa, has died at the age of 117. The Japanese native passed away in Osaka of heart failure at her nursing home, the Associated Press reports. She lost her appetite days earlier.

Related: PHOTOS: Recent celebrity deaths

Okawa was born in Osaka on March 5, 1898, and was named the world's oldest person by Guinness World Records in 2013. Her husband Yukio, whom she married in 1919, died in 1931.

Okawa was still up on her daily routine just weeks before her death. She enjoyed her usual meal of ramen, and had a daily cup of coffee for breakfast.

Related: PHOTOS: Stars gone too soon

"She went so peacefully, as if she had just fallen asleep," Tomohiro Okada, an official at her Osaka nursing home, told AP. "We miss her a lot."

Earlier this month, Okawa told Time magazine that her life "seemed rather short." When asked what the secret to her longevity was, she replied: "I wonder about that too." 

Okawa is survived by two daughters, a son, four grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

Following Okawa's passing, the world's oldest person title is now held by an American woman: Arkansas' Gertrude Weaver, who is 116 years old.

Got a Tip form close button
Got a tip for US?
We're All Ears for Celebrity Buzz!