‘World’s oldest person’ dies at 114 in Brazil

A Brazilian woman thought to be the world’s oldest person has died at the age of 114.Maria Gomes Valentim died of multiple organ failure a few weeks before she was due to turn 115.Guinness World Records said they had verified her birth record, from 1896, and just last month declared her the oldest living person .Shortly before her death, she said she liked Brazil’s national dish, feijoada, and pasties with plenty of hot sauce.Guinness said that Ms Valentim died at the age of 114 years and 347 days.
She spent her life in the town of Carangola, in the east of the country.Previously the title had been held by Besse Cooper from Georgia, in the United States.But last month, Guinness said they had found that Ms Valentim was 48 days older than Ms Cooper.They said she attributed her longevity to a healthy diet, with a daily breakfast consisting of a bread roll, fruit and coffee.She is survived by four grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.Her son reportedly died in the early 1990s, at the age of 75.Guinness said the title of world’s oldest living person would now revert to Ms Cooper, who is 114 years and 299 days old