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Oldest living person dies at 117 years old

1950s 1960s Birthday Cake On Paper Doily With Many Burning Green Candles And Icing Flowers Celebration (Photo by H. Armstrong Roberts/Classicstock/Getty Images)

(NewsNation) — The oldest living person, Maria Branyas Morera, has died at 117 years old, according to her family. 

Morera, an American-born Spanish woman, died in Olot, Spain, on Aug. 19. According to a post that her family shared on X, she died peacefully in her sleep. 


Born on March 4, 1907, in San Francisco, Morera grew up in several American cities, including New Orleans. When she was a child, her family moved to Spain. 

Morera was an active social media user, where she went by “Super Àvia Catalana,” or “Super Catalan Grandma.” On her platform, she posted life advice and jokes to her thousands of followers. 

“I haven’t done anything special to get to this age,” Morera said in an interview with Spanish newspaper El País earlier this year. 

She was named the oldest living person in January 2023 by GWR after the death of French nun Sister André at the age of 118.