World’s oldest person, Kane Tanaka, dies at 119
Gatekeepers News reports that Tanaka, a Japanese woman thought to be the world’s oldest person, died of old age on April 19 at a hospital in southwestern Fukuoka city.
She was born on January 2, 1903, in the Fukuoka region, the same year the Wright brothers flew for the first time and Marie Curie became the first woman to win the Nobel Prize.
In 2019, Guinness World Records confirmed her as the world’s oldest living person.
She was in good health until recently when she was moved to a nursing home, where she enjoyed board games, math problems, fizzy drinks, and chocolate.
Tanaka intended to participate in last year’s torch relay for the Olympic Games, but withdrew due to COVID-19 concerns.
Her life was praised by local governor Seitaro Hattori, who said he was “extremely saddened” by her death.
In a statement released on Monday, Hattori said “I was looking forward to seeing Kane-san on this year’s Respect for the Aged Day (a national holiday in September) and celebrating with her favorite soda and chocolate.”
