A 116-year-old woman from Japan, Tomiko Itooka, has been recognized as the world’s oldest living person by Guinness World Records. This announcement was made on Wednesday by the American organization, Gerontology Research Group.

Tomiko Itooka, born on May 23, 1908, will take over the title following the death of Maria Branyas Morera from Spain, who passed away earlier this week in a nursing home in Catalonia at the age of 117. According to Itooka’s family, she is now poised to hold the prestigious title.

Itooka resides in the western Japanese city of Ashiya, located in Hyogo Prefecture. Over her lifetime, she has witnessed significant historical events. Remarkably, she was born in the same year that the Wright brothers completed their first public flights and the first long-distance radio call was made from the Eiffel Tower.

In her earlier years, Itooka surprised many with her adventurous spirit; even in her 70s, she continued to climb. She reached the summit of Japan’s 3,067-meter-high Mount Ontake twice, opting for sneakers instead of climbing shoes. At the age of 100, she ascended the long stone steps to Ashiya Shrine without the aid of a walking stick.

The former record holder, Branyas, had an extraordinary life story. She lived through the Spanish Civil War and two World Wars. In 2020, she contracted COVID-19 shortly after celebrating her 113th birthday but made a full recovery. Branyas, originally from the United States, had previously shared her thoughts on a family-operated X account, noting, “Time is approaching. Don’t cry; I don’t like tears. And most importantly, don’t suffer for me. Wherever I go, I will be happy.”

Guinness World Records officially recognized Branyas’ status as the world’s oldest person in January 2023, following the death of French nun Lucile Randon, who lived to be 118 years old. The oldest verified person to have ever lived was French woman Jeanne Louise Calment, who died in 1997 at the age of 122 years and 164 days.