Emma Morano
The last person born in the 1800s, she lived through three centuries on a fierce diet of raw eggs and unwavering independence.
1899–2017 (age 118)·Italian supercentenarian·Birthday: November 29·The Lost Generation
Biography
Emma Morano was not just old; she was a living archive of human history. Born when Italy was still a kingdom and Queen Victoria reigned, her life spanned the invention of cars, two world wars, and the digital age. She outlived her abusive husband, a child, and most of her contemporaries, attributing her longevity to a strict diet of raw eggs, a little minced meat, and brandy, and a decisive spirit. For the final year of her life, she held the title of world's oldest living person, a quiet celebrity in her small apartment in Verbania, Italy. Her extraordinary lifespan made her a subject of scientific fascination, but her story is ultimately one of human resilience—a woman who chose her own path and endured, becoming a final, tangible link to a vanished world.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Emma was born in 1899, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Emma Was Born
The biggest hits of 1899
Emma's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1899Born
President: William McKinley
1904Started school
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1912Became a teenager
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1915Could drive
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1917Could vote
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Turned 21
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1929Turned 30
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1939Turned 40
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1949Turned 50
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1959Turned 60
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 70
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 80
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
2017Died at 118
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
Key Achievements
- Recognized as the world's oldest living person from May 2016 until her death in April 2017 at age 117.
- Was the last verified living person born in the 1800s, connecting the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.
- Became the oldest Italian person ever recorded, and the fourth-oldest European in documented history.
- Lived independently in her own apartment until she was well over 100 years old.
- Her longevity and attributed diet made her a frequent subject of gerontological study.
Did You Know?
She credited her long life to eating three raw eggs a day for most of her adult life, a practice she started after a health scare in her teens.
She worked in a jute factory until she was 75 years old.
She left her husband in 1938 after the death of her only son and never remarried, famously stating she 'didn't want to be dominated by anyone.'
She remembered seeing the first car arrive in her village when she was a young girl.
Her diet in her later years also included cookies and a daily glass of homemade brandy.
“I eat three eggs a day, and I mind my own business.”
