--- title: "Ethel Caterham turns 117, world's oldest person" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/ethel-caterham-turns-117-worlds-oldest-person" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/ethel-caterham-turns-117-worlds-oldest-person" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/ethel-caterham-turns-117-worlds-oldest-person.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/ethel-caterham-turns-117-worlds-oldest-person" category: "Politics" area: "United Kingdom" published: "2026-08-22T15:25:17.454Z" source_reported: "2026-08-22T13:58:47.000Z" updated: "2026-08-22T15:25:17.454Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 60 hype_score: 20 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-22T15:15:44.145910+00:00" --- # Ethel Caterham turns 117, world's oldest person *The British supercentenarian celebrated her birthday on Friday, August 21.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. Central claims attributed to Guinness World Records and attributed to the subject, with two independent outlets. - Craft 60 of 100, higher is better. Reports include quotes from the subject and mention of her longevity, with specific dates and places. - Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. Headlines are factual and do not overstate the content of the reports. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Ethel Caterham celebrated her 117th birthday on Friday, August 21. - She became the world's oldest person in April 2025. - Caterham was born on August 21, 1909, in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire. - She met King Charles III in September 2025. Ethel Caterham celebrated her 117th birthday on Friday, August 21. She was born on August 21, 1909, in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, and became the world's oldest person in April 2025. Caterham has lived through two World Wars, the sinking of the Titanic, and the Russian Revolution. She also survived Covid-19 in 2020 at the age of 110. Caterham met King Charles III in September 2025, shortly after her 116th birthday. During their meeting, she recalled his 1969 investiture as Prince of Wales. She married Norman Caterham in 1933, and he died in 1976. The couple had two daughters, both of whom died before her. Caterham lived in Gibraltar and Hong Kong, where she established a nursery school. She drove until she was 97 and played contract bridge into her hundreds. ## Disagreement on birth year The Salisbury Journal states Ethel Caterham was born on August 21, 1909. Nigerian News states she was born on August 21, 1909. Deník.cz states she was born on August 21, 1909. The other reports do not specify a birth year. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated digests mention Caterham's marriage at Salisbury Cathedral. None of the right-rated digests mention her meeting with King Charles III. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 67% (4) - Centre: 16% (1) - Right: 17% (1) 4 of 10 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-22T15:15:44.145910+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 3 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-22T16:00:23.210Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Reports from the left-rated outlets focused on Caterham's longevity and historical context. Dnevni list Danas highlighted that she has seen both her daughters die before her and mentioned her survival of Covid-19 at 110. Il Fatto Quotidiano used a quote from Caterham about looking forward to the next year. DR also noted her daughters' deaths and her birth before the Titanic disaster. Punch Newspapers and DR stated she made history as the first Briton to reach 117. ### Centre - The centre-rated Salisbury Journal led with Caterham's 117th birthday and her marriage at Salisbury Cathedral. It included details of her life, including her marriage in 1933, her husband's army postings, and her time living in Gibraltar and Hong Kong. The report also featured a quote from Caterham about meeting King Charles and stroking a llama, and recalled her meeting with the King in September 2025. ### Right - De Telegraaf, the right-rated outlet, focused on Caterham celebrating her 117th birthday and included a quote from her stating, 'I'm already looking forward to the next party.' It noted that she is the oldest living person and the first Briton to reach this age, according to Guinness World Records. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 1 - high: 5 - unknown: 4 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Il Fatto Quotidiano](https://ilfattoquotidiano.it/2026/08/22/non-vedo-lora-di-scoprire-cosa-mi-riservera-il-prossimo-anno-ethel-caterham-compie-117-anni-e-la-persona-piu-anziana-del-mondo/8485673) — "I Can't Wait to Find Out What I'm Going to Get Next Year": Ethel Caterham Turns 117, He's the Oldest Person in the World. - [Nigerian News. Latest Nigeria News. Your online Nigerian Newspaper.](https://nigerianeye.com/2026/08/worlds-oldest-person-ethel-caterham.html) — World’s Oldest Person, Ethel Caterham, Becomes First Brit to Reach 117 - [DR](https://dr.dk/nyheder/udland/har-oplevet-begge-sine-doetre-doe-foer-hende-verdens-aeldste-fylder-117) — Has Seen Both Her Daughters Die Before Her - the World's Oldest Person Turns 117 - [Punch Newspapers](https://punchng.com/worlds-oldest-person-makes-history-as-first-brit-to-turn-117) — World’s oldest person makes history as first Brit to turn 117 - [Salisbury Journal](https://salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/26486695.worlds-oldest-living-person-celebrates-117th-birthday) — World's oldest living person, who married at Salisbury Cathedral, turns 117 - [Dnevni list Danas](https://danas.rs/bbc-news-serbian/ziveli-najstarija-osoba-na-svetu-proslavila-117-rodjendan) — 'Cheers': The Oldest Person in the World Celebrated His 117th Birthday - [NU](https://nu.nl/opmerkelijk/6407160/oudste-persoon-ter-wereld-viert-haar-117e-verjaardag-heerlijke-dag-gehad.html) — World's Oldest Person Celebrates Her 117th Birthday: 'Had a Wonderful Day' - [De Telegraaf](https://telegraaf.nl/buitenland/oudste-mens-ter-wereld-ethel-caterham-viert-117e-verjaardag-ik-kijk-al-uit-naar-het-volgende-feestje/160365186.html) — World's Oldest Person Ethel Caterham Celebrates 117th Birthday: 'I'm Already Looking Forward to the Next Party' - [Deník.cz](https://denik.cz/svet/britka-oslavila-117-let-je-nejstarsim-zijicim-clovekem-na-svete) — British Woman Turns 117. She Is the Oldest Living Person in the World - [ikon.mn](https://ikon.mn/n/3pss) — World's Oldest Person Celebrates 117th Birthday ## Questions **When was Ethel Caterham born?** Ethel Caterham was born on August 21, 1909, in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire. This makes her 117 years old as of her birthday on Friday, August 21. **When did Ethel Caterham become the world's oldest person?** Ethel Caterham became the world's oldest person in April 2025. This was following the death of the previous record holder, Brazilian nun Sister Inah Canabarro Lucas, who was 116. **Has Ethel Caterham met any members of the Royal Family?** Yes, Ethel Caterham met King Charles III in September 2025, shortly after her 116th birthday. She held his hand during the meeting and recalled his 1969 investiture as Prince of Wales. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/ethel-caterham-turns-117-worlds-oldest-person. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Ethel Caterham turns 117, world's oldest person", https://mediabias.news/politics/ethel-caterham-turns-117-worlds-oldest-person