Josefa Salas Mateo
- Full name: Josef Salas Mateo
- Lifespan: 13.06.1860 – 27.02.1973
- Age: 112 years, 228 days
- Birthplace: Prado del Rey, Andalusia, Spain
- Last residence: Tarifa, Andalusia, Spain
- Application date: N/A
- Validation date: 08.08.1998
- Validation source: Guinness World Records
Biography
Josefa Salas Mateo (14 July 1860 – 27 February 1973) was the “World’s Oldest Person”, according to Guinness World Records, from 1970–1973. She claimed to be a year older than validated (contemporary news reports from Spain reveal she claimed birth in 1859, which would have made her 113 at death, and would have put her 14 days ahead of the age of Delina Filkins).
Ms. Salas Mateo was long the Spanish recordholder before her age was surpassed in the 1990s by Carmen Figueiro on 13 June 1996. She was the last WOP titleholder to gain the WOP title before attaining supercentenarian status. Salas was the first verified Spanish supercentenarian, and also the first verified person documented to die at age 112. Salas was the last person to become the oldest living person before becoming a supercentenarian, as she became the world’s oldest person at age 109 years 181 days. She was also the youngest to have made the list since its start in 1955, being 18 days younger than John Mosely Turner was at the beginning of his title and 21 days younger than Hannah Smith was. Salas was also the last recognized surviving person documented as born in 1860 and she was the fourth oldest Spanish person ever.
Longevity titles
Doyenne of Spain (N/A – 27.02.1973)
Wordl’s Oldest Person ( 1970 – 1973)
Validation
Josefa Salas Mateo age was verified by Guiness World Records on August 8th and validated by the GRG.
Josefa at an unknown date.
